


Day Breaks

by Squeemu



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Apocalypse, Post-Canon, Post-Episode Ignis Verse 2, by which I mean we take WoR seriously, mention of post-apoca gangs, not as spicy as explicit sounds, nothing too graphic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:27:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 38,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squeemu/pseuds/Squeemu
Summary: Prompto shifted in the big armchair in the Amicitia living room, trying to find a comfortable position. He yawned, thumbing the fast forward button on the remote with one hand. He'd watched this show way too many times already, but—the sun had set hours ago, and Gladio still wasn't home. Hadn't been home for the past week, too caught up in the weight of his duties to manage to drag himself back to a real bed. To Prompto.Whatever. Prompto had been by himself tons during the darkness, it wasn't like he needed Gladio or anything. He had this TV and the entire collection of the Amicitia's movies and shows left over from before the world crashed and burned.Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal. Prompto got it. Gladio was busy. But Prompto was leaving tomorrow for a few days, to take some photos of one of Insomnia's abandoned neighborhoods for Noct, and he'd been kinda hoping—He swallowed, turned up the volume on the TV. Maybe Gladio would still show before Prompto went to bed. He'd stay up for just one more episode.He was halfway through the next episode, when the lights abruptly died, the whole world suddenly dark and eerily quiet…
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 43
Kudos: 71
Collections: Promptio Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

Prompto shifted in the big armchair in the Amicitia living room, trying to find a comfortable position. The chair was the perfect size for Gladio, but it just made Prompto feel like he was a kid sitting at the grown up table. He was drowning in upholstery, here. Really comfortable, really expensive, probably-in-need-of-deep-cleaning upholstery. The ten years of darkness hadn't been kind to the furniture.

He yawned, thumbing the fast forward button on the remote with one hand, the other loosely wrapped around Gladio's necklace hanging around his neck. He'd watched this show way too many times already, but—the sun had set hours ago, and Gladio still wasn't home. Hadn't been home for the past week, too caught up in the weight of his duties to manage to drag himself back to a real bed. To Prompto.

Ugh. Whatever. Prompto had been by himself tons during the darkness, it wasn't like he _needed_ Gladio or anything. He had this TV and the entire collection of the Amicitia's movies and shows left over from before the world crashed and burned.

Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal, it really wouldn't. Prompto got it. Gladio was busy. But Prompto was leaving tomorrow for a few days, to take some photos for Noct, and he'd been kinda hoping—

He swallowed, turned up the volume on the TV. 

Whatever. Maybe Gladio would still show before Prompto went to bed. He'd stay up for just one more episode. 

He was halfway through this really intense scene, Simula flourishing her blade at her once-fiance, Imago, when the lights died, the whole world going black and totally silent.

…fuck. Not again.

Prompto stayed frozen to the chair for a good few seconds, waiting for the power to come back on. Sometimes it was just a short outage. It, uh, seemed out for good this time, though.

It took him another minute at least before he was able to actually convince himself to get up. The lights weren't gonna come back on anytime soon, and even if they did, he should—he should probably be in bed, anyway. Needed to make an early start tomorrow, if he wanted to make use of the best lighting of the day. Besides, if this power outage was affecting the Citadel, there was no way Gladio would make it home in time to be any fun.

Prompto sighed, slowly making his way through the mansion, feeling his way along every inch of the space. He'd almost gotten used to how big the Amicitia family home was, but here in the dark, it seemed to take forever to get to the stairs. And then he had to _climb_ the stairs and walk all the way to the master bedroom, just so he could brush his teeth in their enormous, two-sink bathroom.

At least he could see, up here. The cold light of the moon was streaming in through the windows, welcoming him into the giant, empty bed they shared. He let out a breath, hand automatically searching for Gladio's necklace laying flat against his chest. The beads pressed against his palm, familiar and solid, and he closed his eyes. 

And lay there.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he finally gave up. He couldn't sleep. The moon was too bright, shining in through the curtains like a spotlight. Even with his eyes closed, blankets pulled up around his face, he could feel it there, filling up the night with its light.

He'd gotten used to the sun so fast, but the moon still felt _weird_ , hanging in the sky like some kind of natural, wild spotlight, pushing against the darkness. Shaping it. 

Ugh.

Prompto sighed and rolled over for what felt like the tenth time that night, trying to find some angle that was both comfortable _and_ moon-free. He couldn't even distract himself with Gladio tonight. 

Fuck, he missed him.

He'd tried so hard to not think about it, and now, suddenly? He couldn't stop. Missed the way the dude radiated heat, making the bed too warm every single night. The way he snored just a little, the way he stole all the blankets or threw them all onto Prompto. The way Prompto could press up against him and feel him breathe, all skin and muscle, his ink darker than the shadows, and know he was home.

Prompto squeezed the necklace tighter, the wood cross digging into his palm. Stupid. It was so stupid, thinking about this.

Fuck.

He didn't even know which of them he was pissed at, anymore. Gladio for not being there, or at himself, for caring so damn much. For _needing_ him so much. Ever since the dawn, he'd known Gladio would be busy, known the dude wouldn't have time for him anymore. Not—not like he used to.

Prompto rolled over again, twisting onto his back, and the necklace flopped against his chest, that stupid wooden cross smacking his jaw, and—

_Gladio shifted his weight, leaning forward to catch Prompto's mouth, teeth dragging against his lower lip, necklace hanging heavy on Prompto's skin—_

—Prompto caught his breath, let out a short, almost hysterical laugh at himself. Now was not the time to—to get distracted. He needed to _sleep_ tonight, not get lost in the memory of Gladio fucking him senseless. Even if he really, really wanted that to happen now. Right now.

Prompto was reaching a hand down before he even thought about it, just to—you know, check. Only a little hard. That was easy to ignore, he'd just think about something else and close his eyes and drift off into sleep. Easy, right?

Yep. Easy. 

He gave himself a little trial stroke, mostly just muscle memory. Got a tiny pull of heat from it, so he gave one more tug, just to—you know. Double check. He shifted a little, getting more comfortable, and the necklace moved with him, the cross dragging across his jaw.

F-fuck.

He wanted—

—wanted _Gladio_. Not his own hand, but he was still stroking himself, almost mindlessly, his other hand around the necklace. He bit his lip, pulling at his dick a little harder, chasing the ghost of Gladio.

He could almost feel him, hot skin and heavy muscle, shoving into him over and over, the necklace dangling just out of reach. Gladio, his hands rough and calloused, hair falling into both of their faces.

The beads were digging into his palm, and if Prompto just imagined hard enough, he could drag Gladio down, bite at his lip, beg for more. He just— _wanted_ —

His muscles spasmed, hand clenched tight around the necklace as he came. Bit down on his lip, hard, but he still couldn't stop the whimper low in his throat, head pressing back against the mattress.

Fuck. Fuck. He breathed, slowly coming down, hand falling against his chest, necklace spilling across his skin. Put a hand up to his mouth, biting loose and gentle on his finger just to feel something there.

After a minute, he made himself get up out of bed, wipe off some of the mess before crawling back under the sheets, the necklace still around his neck. Shut his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep, curled around a pillow with the moon at his back and Gladio in his dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Prompto woke up the next morning, warm and cozy, his fingers loosely curled around Gladio's necklace. He could hear movement downstairs, too loud to be Iris, and knew why he'd slept so well.

Gladio'd come home last night.

Prompto yawned, stretching, and gave himself one more minute to enjoy the warmth of the covers and this nice, comfy mattress. He only made it to fifteen seconds, though, before the promise of getting to see Gladio pulled at him, tugging him out of bed and down the stairs. 

Gladio was in the kitchen, scrambling some eggs, two steaming mugs sitting on the counter beside him. He looked up as Prompto came into the room, expression softening just a little. "Morning," he rumbled, a hint of sleep still in his voice.

"Hey," Prompto said, heading over to wrap his arms around the big guy's waist, stand up on his tiptoes to plant a kiss at the back of Gladio's neck. "Wasn't sure you'd make it home."

"Wasn't sure either," he said, turning his head to try and look at Prompto. It didn't work very well. "Didn't want to miss you, though."

Prompto grinned. "You remembered."  
  
"'Course I remembered. Heading out to take photos for Noct, right?"

Prompto nodded, putting a hand on Gladio's back to reach past him for an apple, only groping him a little. The apples were courtesy of Hammerhead's greenhouse. They sent a little care basket to Ignis once a week, full of fresh fruit and veggies, and Iggy always saved a few for Prompto and Gladio. Plus, the, uh, little care basket? Was really more like a little care truck. 

Prompto suspected Cindy just wanted the excuse to rummage through the city's automotive shops, see what treasures she could find.

"Yep," Prompto told Gladio. "The Occasus neighborhood, this time, see if it's worth trying to save any of the buildings."

Gladio frowned, making a non-committal noise, and moved the eggs around in the pan. "Put some bread in the toaster?"

Prompto blinked. "Sure." The hell was up with _him?_

Gladio was still frowning when Prompto finished. "The Inpes Dam is near there." He said it somewhere between a hard fact and a question.

"Probably?" Prompto didn't really know. They'd gone there once on a school field trip, but it wasn't like they'd explored the area. And it definitely wasn't like Prompto'd been paying any attention on the way. He'd been to busy talking to Noct about the most recent Ass Creed and daring him to warp across the dam, using the statues on each side as targets. It was a good thing Noct hadn't listened to him, too, the place had been _huge._ Way bigger than Prompto'd imagined it.

"It is," Gladio told him shortly. He made it sound like the start of an argument, but Prompto knew better by now. The dude was just too caught up in whatever he was thinking to bother making it sound nice. "After breakfast, I'll show you a map."

"Uh… okay?"

"Want you to do something for me while you're there," Gladio said, and Prompto's heartrate kicked up a little, for no reason at all. "Go check out the dam." He caught the look on Prompto's face. "Nothing fancy, just—take some photos. Want to see if there's any chance we could get it working again." He shook his head. "These damn power outages—"

Prompto arched his eyebrows and waited for the rest of it to come out. He knew there was more. 

"Didn't want to leave the Citadel last night until the power came back," Gladio admitted.

It took Prompto a minute to figure out what the hell Gladio was talking about. "So… what, you think someone might attack Noct in the dark?"

"Maybe," Gladio said, just, 100% serious. "Best time for a surprise attack. Not everyone is happy to have a king again."

Prompto knew better than to roll his eyes. _This_ again. The dude had been waiting for a surprise attack for months, now. But protecting Noct was Gladio's job, so it only made sense, just…. It was just hard to imagine what threat could possibly find its way into the Citadel, get past all the security, and _then_ get past Ignis. "I mean, a lot of people are settling here," Prompto finally said. "Probably just draining all the energy, y'know? Like in Lestallum, after that second wave of refugees showed up."

Gladio nodded. "A lot of refugees, a new king, a broken city. Not hard to see why someone might get pissed, decide now's a good time to get a new leader." He shrugged. "The power outage doesn't have to be deliberate to still be used in an attack."

Huh. "Well when you put it like that," Prompto said.

"We need an independent source of energy," Gladio said. "And that dam—it's worth investigating."

"I'll get some photos," Prompto promised.

Gladio gave him a grateful look, his eyes tired from too many late nights. "Appreciate it," he said simply, and fuck. Prompto was gonna get those photos for him no matter what, now, even if it would just help him sleep. Let him come home a few more nights a week. It would definitely be worth it.

They sat down to breakfast, eggs and toast and cheese. Prompto tried to scrounge for information on how Gladio'd been, but he could tell the guy didn't really want to talk. At least not about work, which—heh, was all the guy was doing, lately. Prompto couldn't blame him for not wanting to think about when he'd finally got home.

So Prompto talked about his life, instead. He'd found an actual phone book for the Tabula district in the Amicita mansion, buried deep in one of the closets, and spent some time scouring it for any useful shops they might be able to scavenge. The neighborhood even had two dedicated entirely to photography. "So I thought we could go sometime," Prompto said, "see if they have anything I could use."

Gladio paused, toast halfway to his mouth. "That area hasn't been scouted much." 

"Which is why I want to go," Prompto told him. "We might actually be able to find something in there. Maybe some stores the scavengers haven't gotten to yet."

"There could be wild animals," Gladio countered. His expression darkened, "Or worse," and bit into his toast like it was a punctuation mark. 

"So come with," Prompto said. "Next day you're free, unless that's, like, a month from now, I guess." He took a bite of his own toast. "But I bet there's some stuff over there the Kingsglaive would be interested in, too."

Gladio thought about it. Swallowed. "I'll talk to Iris about it," he said finally.

"To cover for you at the Citadel," Prompto warned, pointing his fork in Gladio's direction. "Not to come with me, right?"

"What's wrong with Iris?"

"Seriously?" Prompto asked. "You seriously—"

"She's good in a fight," Gladio said, getting ready to fight for Iris's honor.

"Dude, I'm not saying I don't like Iris," Prompto said, cutting him off. "She's great. But I want to see _you._ Been awhile since we've had an adventure, y'know? Just the two of us."

"I'll talk to Iris," he repeated. "But Noct—"

"You just _said_ Iris is good in a fight." 

"I trust her with my life," Gladio said instantly. "I'd trust her with yours. But Noct is—" He broke off, glaring down at the mug. "His safety is my responsibility. If something happens to him, it's on me, no matter who was there watching him. That's not something you can give away."

Prompto let out a breath, pushing his eggs around his plate. "What about your dad? Didn't he go on vacations with you guys? Thought Iris said he taught you how to camp, right? Like—" he poked at the eggs again, " — no one actually expects you to be with Noct _all_ the time, right?"

Gladio _looked_ at him, expression flat, his hand tight around his mug. Sometimes Prompto wanted to just—break his head open, see if he could figure out what the hell he was thinking in there. Because he'd sit there and think, and a minute later, open his mouth and all he would say was, "Things are different."

It made Prompto want to scream. "Yeah. Understatement of the year," he said instead, forcing out a laugh. "Well. Think about it. Not like we can go there anytime soon, anyway. Gotta get these photos for Noct." He shot Gladio a grin, the best he could summon just then. "And the ones for you." 

Gladio's expression relaxed, just a little. "Be safe," he ordered.

"Dude, you know me."

"Exactly," Gladio said dryly. "I know you. Don't take unnecessary risks."

"I'll be fine," Prompto told him. "The area was cleared weeks ago, and Noct's giving me one of his chocobos from the royal stables. What could go wrong?"

Gladio _looked_ at him. "Cleared doesn't mean safe," he warned. "Just because the Glaives swept through the area—"

"Doesn't mean something else hasn't moved in after them," Prompto finished, waving that off. "I know. Seriously. I'll be careful, I promise."

"Can't watch after you _and_ Noct," Gladio grumbled.

He meant it as a joke. Prompto knew that, but he still felt it like a blow to his chest, sudden and unexpected, cutting off air, filling up his throat. "Yep," he said, and could hear the ache there, too. "I know." He stood up, dropping off his dishes in the sink. Gladio got up after him, heading over to the sink himself. 

"Better get going," Prompto said. "Daylight's not gonna wait for me," and got up on his tip toes to give Gladio a quick smooch on the cheek. He didn't want to leave on a _totally_ bad note.

Gladio pulled him in, wrapping a hand on the back of his neck, but before Prompto could decide what to do, Gladio pulled away again. "The hell—?" And tugged at his necklace, the one Prompto was still wearing, pulling it free from under his shirt.

Oh. 

Yeah.

"So this is where it went. Was searching for it this morning." Gladio had an eyebrow arched, his mouth curved up in a knowing smirk.

Prompto cleared his throat, willing himself not to think about just what he'd been doing with it, trying his best to not let it show all over his face. "Yeah, uh, you know, I was thinking I could—maybe wear it for good luck or something."

The smirk broadened into a grin, Gladio's eyes flicking down and back up again. "Wear it. Looks good on you." Prompto swallowed. "Might remind you to not do anything stupid."

"Hey," Prompto protested and Gladio laughed, tugging him in for a real kiss this time, Gladio's hand still wrapped around the necklace, the beads pressing against the back of his neck. 

"Asshole," Prompto breathed when Gladio finally pulled away, letting Prompto and the necklace go. "First you get home after I'm asleep, and now you pull this, right when I have to go."

Gladio smirked at him. "Something to think about while you're gone."

"Like I needed any help!"

Gladio laughed. "So get back soon. We'll pick up where we left off."

"I'm holding you to that," Prompto warned him and headed upstairs to finish packing.

He didn't have a whole lot left. Threw together the last remaining items along with a few extra rolls of film and an extra memory card for the Lokton just in case, and grabbed his bags.

Gladio was leaning over a map when Prompto came downstairs. He dumped his bags near the door and went over to join Gladio in front of the map.

"The end of the city is here," Gladio told him, pointing. "Noct probably wants images of these buildings closer to the middle of the neighborhood."

Prompto nodded. That looked right.

"And down here," Gladio said, moving his finger, "about thirty minutes away, at the edge of the wall, is the dam." He hesitated. "Don't do anything stupid," he added, like he thought Prompto'd already forgotten. "The pictures aren't that important."

Prompto laughed. "Sure, if you promise not to work too hard," he countered. Collected one more kiss from Gladio and headed out to get his chocobo, bags slung over his back.

\- - -

To his delight, he got one of the chocobos he'd helped train at Wiz's chocobo farm a few years ago, back when the darkness had suddenly grown too thick and Prompto'd decided he needed to be surrounded by feathers. This one was a dull yellow little bird Prompto'd named Acorn. 

"Hey buddy," he said, scritching the bird under her chin. "Remember me?"

Apparently Acorn did, because she bobbed her head in greeting, ruffling all her feathers up in a burst of excitement. 

Prompto was extra glad he'd stashed some Gysahl Greens in his pockets before heading into the stables. He let Acorn nudge at his pockets for a few seconds before he gave in and pulled out the treats, holding them out for Acorn to take straight from his hand.

Acorn almost made up for Noct not being around to meet him. He was a little disappointed, but not surprised. Dude had eight million meetings to go to on the best of days, and if it was a weekend, he would definitely be taking the chance to sleep in. Prompto'd be doing the exact same thing if he was in Noct's shoes. And anyway, Prompto'd been hoping to get out of the city proper asap. Meeting up with Noct? Was _not_ gonna help with that. They'd just end up talking for hours, and before Prompto knew it, half the day would be gone. 

At least Noct (or, uh, more likely Ignis, acting on Noct's behalf) had given the stablehand instructions to make sure Prompto had enough feed to last Acorn for a few days. The dude also made sure that Prompto knew how to take the bird's barding on and off, which was—like, nice and all, but he clearly had no idea Prompto'd basically raised the chocobos to be comfortable with their armor. 

"Just you and me, buddy," Prompto said, getting up on the saddle and leaning forward to put a gentle hand along Acorn's neck. "A boy and his chocobo." 

He kept their pace slow as they moved through the settled parts of Insomnia. It didn't take long on the back of a chocobo to reach the end of civilization, though. There were only a handful of people out here, though the city stretched on for miles. He meandered through the abandoned streets, taking photos of some of the nicest buildings, stopping every once in awhile to chat with the people he met. 

Prompto spent most of the day poking around the neighborhood, but his mind had already moved on to the dam. He loved taking these photos for Noct, but the dam was something new. Something _big._ And—he knew better than to hope, but maybe it would bring Gladio home.

And then, finally, it was time to move on. The buildings had turned mostly into industrial warehouses, their broken walls tinged golden in the light of the late afternoon sun, and the concrete seemed to go on for miles.

"Towns they go on," Prompto sung under his breath, half to himself and half to Acorn. "On and on and on," but had to stop when Acorn shook her feathers out. "Not a fan, huh?"

Acorn _kweh_ ed.

"Really big fan?" Prompto tried, before deciding, "Better save it for camp, either way."

Acorn ruffled her feathers out again in a definite yes. 

They didn't make it very far before the sun started sinking behind the buildings. It wasn't _really_ dangerous to stay out after dark anymore, but Prompto still felt the old familiar itch to hurry to a shelter. Old habits died hard. And—anyway, Acorn might trip over some debris or something. "Guess it's time to find a campsite," Prompto told the chocobo, and turned them off the main road.

It took a little bit of searching before he found a place that felt okay. A run down apartment complex with a courtyard, surrounded by a high wrought iron fence. The gate was just rusted enough to make Prompto work up a sweat getting the damn thing open, but at least that meant if anyone else tried to get in, he'd hear it. And this way, he had some open sky to build a fire and a little patch of greenery for Acorn to rummage through.

He made dinner for both of them and then got out his notebook to jot down a few notes from the day before the sun totally disappeared. Checked his phone on the off chance there would be any reception out here, but—yeah. Not even a bar.

The sun sank a little lower, and Prompto found himself humming along with the crackle of the fire. Singing some old songs and some new ones he just made up, Acorn watching him, curled up near the fire.

It didn't take long before Prompto settled in next to her, her feathers warm and smelling of straw and chocobo. He kept singing until his eyes felt heavy, and whenever he forgot the words, he found new ones instead.

\- - -

The next day dawned bright and clear, not a single cloud in the sky. It was a good thing it was so nice out, because, uh, Prompto had kiiind of forgotten how to get back to the main road that led out of town. And it took twice as long as it should to pick their way through the rubble, but it wasn't all bad. He found a couple more buildings for Noct and a bookstore that had been left almost entirely untouched by looters for Gladio. And, uh. A _lot_ of rubble. Rubble and debris and entire buildings that had just given up and fallen down right there in the middle of street.

But as late morning turned into early afternoon, the concrete jungle gave way to real wilderness and the rubble from the city began to disappear. The grass was slowly starting to come back to the fields, and Prompto even thought he spotted a few handfuls of crop plants here and there, planted way back in the day. And far off in the distance, Prompto could actually see the dam. The buildings were only barely visible, but the lake gleamed in the sun, enough water Prompto almost thought the Wall had crumbled and he was looking at the ocean, instead. But there it was, a thin line of concrete holding back a metric fuckton of water. 

He waited until they got closer and he could actually see the dam itself, buildings situated on the Wall, before he pulled out his camera and snapped a few shots. He did his best to get all the relevant landscape into the field, but he didn't really know what he was looking for. Got off Acorn to take the real shot, the one using his analog camera, on real film and everything. The one that Gladio could hang up in his office or pass around to whoever he needed to impress with it. 

_Snap._

He let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding, packed up Annie the Analog, and climbed back into the saddle.

As he rode, the dam kept disappearing behind the curve of the next hill, reappearing again somehow even bigger than it should've been. The place must be massive. As Acorn's steady pace ate away the miles, the lake just kept growing, bigger and bigger and bigger. Was it flooded? Or was this just what it was _supposed_ to look like? 

Prompto'd only seen it that one time before, when he and Noct went there for that dorky high school field trip. There hadn't been much to see up top, but they'd taken the elevator down thirty flights of stairs and actually stepped outside the Wall to turn and look back. Back and _up_ , at the terrible rush of water shooting out from between two enormous statues, rising taller than even the Wall itself. The might of Lucis, their tour guide had explained as Prompto stared at their faces, impassive but severe. A warning and a promise. One held a broadsword, the other a a mighty shield, both weapons stretching down to touch the base of the rocky cliffs in front of them.

There'd been some kind of touristy aerial lift, back then, but no one had trusted a bunch of high school kids with that kind of power, so they'd all just crowded around the viewing platform at the bottom. Or, uh. At least Prompto'd crowded, his phone out and ready to take photos. All the cool kids hung back, pretending they didn't care. He was pretty sure Noct would've been one of them, but Prompto'd grabbed his wrist and dragged him away, out from under the teacher's gaze and over to the bridge spanning the river.

"Say cheese," Prompto'd yelled over the roar water, and then Noct'd dragged _him_ into the photo, too, hand around his shoulder, flashing that famous grin of his. They'd totally covered up all the important features—the water shooting out of the Wall, most of the features of _both_ statues except for the line of one robe, but it was still one of Prompto's favorite photos, like, EVER.

He wondered if that little viewing platform at the bottom was still there. 

"Only one way to find out, huh, Acorn?" he asked.

Acorn didn't respond.

\- - - 

They stopped early that night. It'd taken them a long time to make their way out of the main city, and he wasn't really sure what waited for them out here. And. Okay, maybe sometimes he went a little too far to get the perfect photo, but that didn't make him stupid. He definitely wanted to take his time out here and, uh, maybe _not_ run headfirst into a pack of hungry dogs? Yeah. Yeah that sounded like a good plan.

They made camp in a little alcove tucked right up against the Wall, rubble providing a comfy shelter protected from the wind. The dam was still a ways off, but he could see the buildings clearly now, silhouetted dark against the setting sun. 

He kept the fire well fed that night, and between the flickering flames and Acorn, he stayed toasty warm.

\- - -

The wind blew strongly through their makeshift campsite the next morning, carrying with it the biting scent of the ocean, clouds racing through the sky. It wasn't the best day to be walking along the Wall, but so long as they didn't get too close to the edge, they should be fine. Right? Right.

The road they'd been following yesterday turned pretty quickly into a bridge, sweeping up over Inpes Lake and towards the Wall, leading straight to the dam. It took almost half an hour to cross on the back of a chocobo. There was a tourist parking lot just off the Wall, and the road continued on, leading past a few buildings and over the dam itself, ending in what seemed to be some employee housing on the other side. The place looked utterly abandoned, plants growing up and around the doorway and all the windows.

Prompto thought about taking a quick look see, check if the housing had anything worthwhile hidden inside, but they could always come back later. A photo would have to do. Because right now? Honestly? He just wanted to get home, back to his soap opera and his chair that was too big.

"Don't stray too far," he warned Acorn and dismounted, taking a bunch of photos before dismounting to explore.

The first building was right next to the parking lot, the most important building of all: the gift shop. There'd been this really sweet hoodie in there. Prompto'd wanted it so bad, but it'd cost waaaaaay more than he had on him. The doors were locked tight, though, front and back, and the windows looked like they had been professionally boarded up. There was still a chance he might be able to get that hoodie, but uh. Only if he could get inside.

RIP.

The next building was some tiny supply closet at the edge of the dam, locked tight. The wind tried to blow him off the Wall as he crossed over the dam, but—hey, he could hear water. That was a good sign, right? It was still, somehow, functioning. Maybe the employees had all been daemonized before they could turn it off.

He wandered on, the head of one of the statues giving him a brief respite from the wind. The thing was as big as he was. Bigger, probably. 

And on the other side of the dam? Was a building that looked _actually_ important. There was a radio tower perched on top that was—okay, it was really rusted, but Prompto'd climbed over worse. He'd be willing to trust it with his life. Only he couldn't get at that, either. The door to this building was locked tight, and he couldn't see any access points to the roof.

Maybe he would get to go home sooner than he thought.

He couldn't go back to Gladio without at least trying, though. Prompto could picture the look on the big guy's face too well, the one that said, _This is exactly the kind of laziness I expected from you._ Well, not today, it wasn't! 

Prompto tried shimmying the locks. Tried picking them, in case there was a difference. Tried slamming his weight against the doors and only managed to bruise his shoulder.

Alright. That did it. He grit his teeth, pulling his gun out of the armiger, and took aim. 

_Bang._

Shot the damn thing in the handle and gave the door a solid kick. 

It refused to budge. And now that he was looking, he could see the deadbolt lodged firmly in place, the door only slightly dented from the bullet. He'd have to shoot the whole door apart, and, uh, that didn't really seem conducive to preserving whatever equipment was still inside.

Prompto glared at the door for a long, long minute. "You might have won this time, door," he warned, "but this isn't over. Not by a long shot." 

The door, unsurprisingly, ignored him.

He gave the door one last glare for good measure and whistled for Acorn. Every single door they passed had the same stupid bolt, the same stupidly solid construction. 

The place was worth exploring, Prompto could feel it. The dam was practically begging to be used again, every building intact, the water level nice and high. And even if it was busted up inside, there _had_ to be some supplies in there, all sorts of stuff they could use in the reconstruction efforts. 

He'd just have to come back. ( _With Gladio,_ a traitorous voice whispered in his mind. He ignored it.) Next time, he'd just make sure he brought the right tools. Maybe Iggy knew where the keys might be. And if not, there was always explosives. 

He nudged Acorn forward, back down the bridge to the solid ground safely inside the Wall, feeling better already. If _he_ couldn't get in, that meant no one else could've, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy the wonderful art [Alassa](https://twitter.com/artofalassa) drew for this chapter! 
> 
> If you haven't done so already (or even if you have :D) [go tell her how amazing she is.](https://twitter.com/artofalassa/status/1326273958543552512?s=20)


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't take as long to get back to the city as it'd taken to leave it. Prompto only had to camp once, and by the time he rode into the Citadel stables, he was practically vibrating with energy. He couldn't wait to show Noct his photos. Couldn't wait to show Gladio, either. The dude was gonna flip. 

He gave Acorn one last scritch before handing her reins over to her handler and pulling out his phone. He had a signal again. Probably had as soon as he'd gotten into the occupied neighborhoods. The city'd gotten lucky and managed to keep most of its cell towers more or less intact. They'd just needed a little patching up to make them functional again.

He sent a text to Noct first, in case the dude needed extra time to squirm his way out of a meeting. 

_got a sec? wanna show you some pics_

And then sent the next text to Gladio:

_Got some photos for ya ;)_

It didn't take long at all for Noct to reply. _good timing_ , the text read. _just got out. meet for lunch?_

Prompto didn't even have time to reply before Noct added, _noodles._

_Got you covered, buddy,_ Prompto told him. Checked with the handler one last time and took off for the best cold noodles in town, right outside the Citadel. Gladio didn't reply, but that wasn't unusual. He was pretty silent when it came to texting during work hours, but Prompto knew he'd see it and come home a little early. 

Today? Was gonna be a good day.

* * * * *

Gladio waited impatiently for Noct to get back from his damn business meeting, tired and on edge. He hadn't slept well the past few nights. He hadn't had _time_ for sleep. Hadn't even had time to train, his joints complaining from sitting still for most of the day. Being the King's Shield involved a lot more paperwork than he'd wanted.

But instead of doing that paperwork, he was stuck waiting in Noct's huge office, the desk big enough to sleep on, windows from ceiling to floor. Most of them had even survived the ten years of darkness. A small miracle. 

Gladio caught himself pacing. It was a bad habit he'd picked up a few months ago, but he had yet to kick it. Looked bad on the King, that his Shield couldn't stand still.

He thought briefly about leaving Noct a note to let Gladio know when he was out, but Noct never bothered to read anything. He either got a reply from Iggy or nothing at all. 

Gladio still wasn't sure which was worse.

The door finally opened, but Iggy was the only one who walked in, his face calm and Noct's coat folded carefully over his arm. "Gladio," he greeted pleasantly, placing the coat over Noct's chair.

"Where's Noct?" Gladio demanded.

"He said he had some business to attend to," Ignis said smoothly, moving to one of the windows just behind Noct's desk and looking out for one long moment.

"Alone?" 

Ignis _looked_ at him, like that wasn't a worry. Like he couldn't think of a single goddamn problem with the King wandering around alone and unprotect in his country that was still recovering from a decade of turmoil and political instability, immigrants flooding the streets. Did he not remember what had happened right before they left? 

He crossed his arms. "Hell are you thinking, Iggy?"

"He is more than capable of taking care of himself, Gladio," Ignis told him, his tone still deceptively pleasant. "I believe you've argued the same point with me for years."

Gladio took a breath. Let it out. Tried again. "Yeah, and years ago he was just the prince." Ignis arched a dangerous eyebrow and Gladio ignored it. "Now, he's king. A _target_." Ignis didn't look impressed. "At least half of his citizens have no reason to be loyal to him."

"He brought the Dawn," Ignis said simply.

"Not everyone worships the ground he walks on like you do."

Ignis's eyes went flat, but his tone was perfectly neutral when he said, "Was there something you needed, Gladio?"

There were a lot of goddamn things Gladio needed, but most of all, he needed Iggy to help him do his damn job keeping Noct safe. The hell were they fighting over this for? "Yeah," he said, forcing himself to move on. "I need to talk to Noct." He lifted the file he was holding. "Got some new info about the power outages."

Iggy blinked, looking over at him. Held his hand out for the file, and for a split second, a small part of Gladio rebelled against giving it to him. Iggy'd read it, form an opinion, and then just tell Noct what to do. And Noct'd do it, no questions asked, before Gladio even had a chance to talk to him.

Gladio shook it off. He was being stupid. Noct would ask Iggy about it anyway. And they were all still on the same side, even if Iggy was content to let the King of Lucis wander the streets without a guard. He took a breath and handed the file over. 

"Got it this morning," Gladio told him. "Cindy sent it yesterday." He knew better than to try and summarize the rest of it for him. It'd be faster to just let Ignis read it for himself. They'd discovered a downed power line outside the city, one line of three, bringing power all the way from Lestallum to the capital city. No wonder they'd had the outage. They were down to two thirds power.

Gladio forced himself to stand still. It seemed to take forever for Ignis to finish, but he finally closed the folder, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Hmm," he murmured. He glanced out the window for a moment, before blinking back to the folder in his hand. "You'll be sending a group out to discover where the lines went down?"

Gladio nodded. "Already done. But there's the chance someone cut the wires. Rerouted it for their own private use."

The expression on Iggy's face didn't change, but he somehow made it crystal clear just how low he thought the chances of _that_ were. "Always a possibility," he said, his tone giving away none of his real opinion. "The glaives will find out soon enough."

Gladio's jaw clenched. Iggy was _handling_ him. Son of a bitch. "Iggy, do me a favor and stop treating me like one of Noct's goddamned advisors." Ignis blinked. "You have something to say, say it."

Ignis's mouth twitched. And then, drawing a breath, "I apologize. You're right. You deserve better." He paused, expression shifting from _handling mode_ to _convincing mode_. But what came out was surprisingly blunt. "The starscourge is gone, Gladio." He shifted slightly. "You're correct, of course. There are certainly still those who are unable to adjust to this new world, now that the darkness is over, but they are few and far between. The reports your patrols bring back are proof enough."

Gladio opened his mouth, but Ignis held up a hand, forestalling him. Gladio shut it.

"It is, of course, important to be prepared for an attack, but our resources and focus should be on rebuilding the city. On helping Noct reshape his kingdom. We need to look to the future, not the past. "

Gladio stared at him. "The hell do you _think_ I'm doing?" he demanded finally.

"You wanted my thoughts," Ignis told him mercilessly. "And it is my opinion that you still have one foot firmly planted in the past."

"I'm not leaving this city wide open to attack, Iggy," Gladio growled. 

"Of course not," Ignis said. "I expect nothing less from you. And you're keeping the Glaives occupied, giving them a job instead of allowing them to wander aimlessly. I am merely suggesting—" Gladio breathed in, sharp and sudden, trying to keep a handle on his temper. He'd asked for this. The least he could was take it. "—that you are perhaps overzealous in the performance of your duty, particularly when it comes to Noct's personal safety."

Gladio took that in, breathing through the anger still simmering in his blood. "Fine," he said, unable to keep it entirely out of his voice. "You stick to your job. Let me do mine."

Ignis looked at him, expression totally unreadable. "As you wish," he said simply. He turned slightly, his gaze shifting out one of the windows. 

Gladio stood there for a moment before giving up on the whole damn thing. "So where's Noct," he asked flatly.

"I believe watching after Noct is your job," Ignis said pleasantly, not turning around. "I wouldn't want to interfere."

Gladio ground his teeth together. But. _Hell._ Even he could see he deserved that one. 

One of these days, Iggy was going to be wrong for once in his life. Gladio let out a breath and pulled out his phone.

* * * * *

"So here's what I found," Prompto said, handing his camera over. He leaned back on the concrete ledge they'd found for their lunch break, the mostly empty pasta container balanced precariously on one leg. "I haven't had a chance to develop any of the film yet, but the neighborhood's in pretty good shape." He let Noct flip through the photos for a bit, trying to judge about when the guy would get to the next set. "But—I found something even better." He took a breath, unable to keep the grin off his face. "Gladio asked me to take a look at Inpes Dam while I was out there. And—the place is intact, Noct. Locked up tight."

Noct blinked, looking up at him. 

"You'll see," Prompto said, nodding at the camera. "It's all in there. But if we could get it running again…."

"A local source of power," Noct mused.

"It kept, what, a third of Insomnia powered all on its own?" Prompto asked. 

Noct looked blank for a moment. Dude clearly hadn't paid attention to the tour guide on their field trip, but then he frowned, thinking. "Something like that," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Ignis would know."

Prompto laughed. "Ignis knows everything."

Noct went back to flipping through the photos, this thoughtful look on his face. It made him look—older. Kingly. Like the kind of guy people would write about in the history textbooks as a wise and benevolent ruler.

It struck Prompto all over again. _Ten years_ , he'd been gone. He was still Noct, still his best buddy, but—it was weird, seeing him look so much older, like a real king. Just like that.

But. Heh. Prompto was older, too, huh? Only he'd got to watch _that_ happen in real time.

He shook it off, trying to focus on the topic at hand. "I mean, obviously I couldn't get in myself, so it might just be a rusted pile of junk inside, but—"

"If you couldn't get in, no one else could either," Noct finished, grinning. He handed the camera back. "Nice."

"I want to go back," Prompto told him, carefully dropping the camera back into its bag. "With some small explosives, maybe. Find out what's actually in there."

Noct was looking at him. "No."

Prompto blinked. "No?"

"You're going to blow yourself up."

Prompto laughed. "No offense, dude, but I _know_ explosives. I got this."

Noct opened his mouth, frowned. Blinked and frowned harder. "When did you start wearing that?" he asked, totally out of the blue, waving his fork at Prompto's chest.

_Huh?_ "My shirt?" Prompto asked, frowning down at it. 

"Gladio's necklace."

The way he said it, blunt and straightforward, hit Prompto like an Iron Giant, the ground breaking up under his feet. "Oh," Prompto tried, his mind just. Totally blank, thoughts free-falling off a cliff. "Uh, r-right. That." He cleared his throat, trying to shrug it off, you know, no big deal. "Just, uh. Thought it might be nice to. Have on?"

Noct arched an eyebrow at him, not buying that for one second. His pocket buzzed, cell phone going off, but he ignored it to say, "Uh huh. And Gladio's fine with that." 

Prompto could feel the blush spreading on his cheeks, heating up his skin. He shrugged. "Just. Y'know. Haven't seen him much lately."

Noct's frown was back, fork paused halfway to his mouth, one single noodle speared on the tines.

Prompto didn't want to know what Noct might say to that, so he kept talking instead. "He's been really busy with work, though. Can't blame him, I know he has more important stuff to deal with. Like keeping you safe and—that power outage and all."

"I can take care of myself," Noct pointed out. 

"Dude. _I_ know that, but—I think he's on edge about it, y'know? Ever since—" he broke off, not sure how to finish. Gestured vaguely. "Ardyn. The dawn. You know."

Noct sighed.

"And it's his _job_. You know how seriously he takes duty."

"Oh, I know," Noct said darkly. "Trust me, I know."

Prompto snorted. "I bet." He hadn't really thought about Noct's side of it. Yeah, he didn't get to see Gladio, but. The dude could be really intense when he was hellbent on something. Poor Noct. "Still," he said, kicking his feet out, "would've been nice to see him the night before I left. I mean, we had breakfast together and everything but—it's not really the same as getting to actually sleep with him." Prompto heard it as soon as the words had left his mouth. "I mean! You know! _Sleeping_ sleeping—"

Noct laughed, mercifully cutting him off. "Uh huh. I know what you meant." He was smirking, the jerk, and great. Now Prompto was blushing again. How did Noct always do this to him? 

"Well," Prompto admitted finally. "That part would've been nice too."

"Ew! Gross," Noct said, shoving at his shoulder. "Prompto!"

"Hey! You brought it up!"

" _You_ were the one who said you wanted to be sleeping with him," Noct pointed out.

"Yeah, well." Prompto kicked his feet against the stone wall they were sitting on. "Either way. I mean, how'd you like it if Ignis just stopped coming home?"

Noct blinked.

"You can just go find him if you need to," Prompto said, unable to stop talking. "It's not like he's halfway across the city. And, I mean, you _are_ his job." At the look on Noct's face, he quickly added, "Not in a bad way! Like—he loves doing all that stuff. He lives for it, you can tell. But you still get to see him, even when you're both busy."

"I guess," Noct shrugged. His pocket buzzed again. 

"Do you need to take that?" Prompto asked, nodding at the buzzing.

Noct waved it off. "If it's really important, they'll find Ignis."

_See?_ Prompto didn't say. He cleared his throat. "Uh, so, uh, how _is_ the job?"

"Job?"

Prompto gestured at him. "You know, with the robes and the crown and stuff."

Noct groaned. "I wish this was a job. Then I could actually quit." He put another forkful of pasta in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "But—you know? It's not bad. Not as bad as I thought it would be, anyway. And I still get to help people."

"Look at you," Prompto grinned at him. "Sounding all grown up and wise."

Noct snorted. "Yeah right. Ignis had to wake me up yesterday because I was napping too loudly on the throne."

Prompto laughed. "And you get to sleep on the job. Sounds like the perfect job for you."

Noct rolled his eyes. "Whatever. What's new with you?"

It was an obvious attempt to change the subject, but Prompto let him, launching into a lurid summary of the latest DVD set he'd found in the Amicitia library. " _And_ ," he concluded, "I found an old copy of Sonic the Hedgehog hidden behind some DVDs." Prompto waggled his eyebrows. "Think you're up for the challenge?"

"You are on," Noct grinned. He let out a dreamy sigh that kinda turned into a real sigh. "I'll have Ignis schedule it in." 

"Sounds good," Prompto said, putting a cheerful tone on it, but—man, sometimes it sucked being friends with royalty. 

Heh. At least he would actually get to see his best buddy this way, though. 

And for one tiny, traitorous millisecond, Prompto's brain gave him, _and maybe Gladio would actually follow him home_ , before he firmly pushed it back down. He didn't want Gladio around if it was out of obligation. No way. If Gladio was gonna be home, Prompto wanted him home for real, not home-but-still-at-work. 

Noct's phone buzzed again. 

"Guess you gotta head back soon, huh?" Prompto said. "Popular guy like you must have a tight schedule."

Noct snorted. "They can wait another few minutes. I'm the King, right? Not like they can fire me for being late."

"Ignis can give you the evil eye, though."

Noct shrugged. "If I'm on time too much, they'll just think I'm not busy enough." He rolled his neck, stretching a little. "I think you should go back," he said, and it took Prompto a minute to realize he meant _to the dam_ and not _to my meeting for me_. "But no way am I letting you go alone."

"I can take care of myself," Prompto informed him. 

Noct _looked_ at him and Prompto felt the weight of that look like it was a Royal Order. He didn't actually give an order, though. Instead, he quietly said, "I know. But I'm not taking any chances." He squared his shoulder. "You're going with Gladio."

"With _Gladio?_ " Prompto squeaked. 

Noct's expression was irritatingly smug. "Yep."

"He's going to be pissed, dude," Prompto told him, without even stopping to think about it. Fuck. 

— _Fuck_. He wanted Gladio there. He really wanted Gladio there, just like the old days, when the world was dark and Gladio was by his side, both of them working together towards the same goal. Only maybe—this time, it could be in the sunlight, fighting a locked door instead of a bunch of daemons. But— "There's no way he's gonna agree to it."

Noct's smirk turned into an insufferable grin. "Trust me."

"Do I have to?" 

"Pretty much," Noct told him, getting up carefully from their little stone bench. 

Prompto was in the middle of grabbing their trash when his phone rang. Crap. He did his best to juggle the trash over to one hand, digging his phone out with the other. 

It was Gladio.

"Hey," he grinned. "Get my text?"

"You know where Noct is?"

And just like that, Prompto's good mood went sour. "What?" 

"You heard from him? He isn't answering my texts."

"Dude, I just got back," Prompto told him. "I was eating lunch."

Prompto could almost hear Gladio fighting his temper. "Good," he said shortly. "Everything's fine?"

"Yep," he said, too cheerful. "No injuries here!"

"So you haven't from Noct?"

The sour feeling curdled into anger. "Why? You lose him?" The words came out snarkier than he'd meant. "Sorry, dude. Kinda busy here, gotta go," and hung up. 

* * * * *

The line went suddenly, abruptly silent and Gladio lowered the phone, staring at it blankly in his hand. Had Prompto really just hung up on him?

Ignis glanced over, catching his expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Prompto just hung up on me," Gladio admitted, feeling more lost than he wanted to admit. Wasn't like they'd never argued before, but at least he usually knew they were arguing.

Ignis's gaze flicked outside again, a frown catching at his mouth. "Hm."

Gladio closed his eyes, breathing. One thing at a time. He could deal with Prompto later, but right now, he just wanted to make sure Noct was safe. When he finally spoke, his voice was almost normal again. "Noct tell you what his business was?"

Ignis didn't move for a long moment, still looking out at the distance like Gladio wasn't even there. "He did."

Gladio waited. _Waited._ "And?" 

"I don't believe it's any of your concern."

"Of course it's my concern, Iggy!" Gladio exploded. "I'm his goddamn Shield!"

Ignis turned to look him straight in the eye. "Do you truly believe I would have let him go alone if I didn't believe he would be safe?"

Gladio stared at him. Realized his jaw was hanging open like an idiot and closed it with a snap. "You know where he is," he realized incredulously. "You've known this whole time."

Ignis looked at him for a moment and then stepped away from the window. Son of a _bitch_. Noct was right there, in plain view of the window, watching Prompto throw their leftover lunch containers in the trash.

It took a full minute before he managed to unclench his hands. "Iggy," he growled.

Ignis let out a breath, folding his arms in front of his chest. "He asked for some time alone," he said, the words pointed, "to eat lunch with a friend. His best friend."

_You're his best friend_ , Gladio thought automatically. But they'd had that argument before. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.

Ignis was watching him, expression unreadable.

Gladio breathed. "If I'd known, I would have left him alone."

"You would have tailed them at a respectful distance," Ignis disagreed, "plainly visible and ready to step in at a moment's disturbance. Noct can take care of himself. You need to trust him."

"He almost died, Iggy." It was out before he could think better of it. "I am _not_ going to fail my duty again." _I won't become my father._

"Gladio," Ignis said, and there was pity in his tone. "You need to let him live." 

There was something thick in Gladio's throat, too many thoughts all trying to get out at the same time. "You of all people should understand," he managed finally.

"I do." He said it simply. "You accused me of these same crimes years ago." He smiled, wryly. "And here we are." He tugged on his sleeves, straightening them slightly. "I suppose I should also suggest you spend more time on yourself and your personal life, while I'm at it. You're working entirely too hard."

Gladio snorted. It wasn't quite a laugh.

"Though I am quite serious," Ignis added. "We need you functional, and you can't do your job if your burn yourself out performing it. The Glaives need you. Noct needs you." His glance turned back out to the window. Prompto and Noct were gone, probably headed back to the Citadel. "Prompto needs you," he added, voice quiet.

...fuck.

Gladio pushed it all down. He would deal with it later. For now, he had to get ready to brief Noct on the developing situation, let the Glaives know what was coming.

_Prompto needs you._

So did the Glaive. So did Noct.

But—damn, Gladio missed him. 

There'd be time for him later. But—maybe Gladio would leave early tonight. He rolled his shoulders, straightened his back, and turned his thoughts to power lines.

* * * * *

Prompto walked Noct back to the door of the Citadel, pausing outside. "So uh, have a good meeting, I guess?" Prompto told him. "If that exists, I mean."

Noct laughed. He didn't answer, though, just said, "Come up with me."

"Uh—"

"I want you to show Ignis those photos," Noct told him, but his tone was just a little too casual. He was up to something. Prompto _knew_ it. 

"Not much to show," Prompto said, "but, uh, sure? Whatever you want."

Noct nodded with satisfaction. "One sec," he said, pulling out his phone to send a text. "Just making sure he's there."

Prompto waited. Wondered if it'd be worth it to stop by Gladio's office on the way back. He wasn't sure he was ready to apologize for being so pissy on the phone, but—he should at least give him an update on the dam. Or tell him Noct was safe.

Ugh.

"Alright," Noct said, sliding the phone back in his pocket. "Let's go," and led Prompto into an elevator. They went up. And up and up and _up_. He always forgot how _tall_ the Citadel was, the throne room at the very top, of course. Like whoever'd built the place wanted to make sure you knew just how far below the King you were.

"You gotta take this every day?" Prompto asked, leaning back against the wall of the elevator.

Noct shrugged. "My room's close to throne room. It's not too bad."

"Huh." Prompto considered that. "You ever worry this elevator might just like—collapse? The wires give out?"

Noct blinked at him. 

"It must be old," Prompto said, hugging his arms tight to his chest. "When was the last time this thing had any maintenance done to it, do you think?"

"Ignis'll know," Noct told him.

"Yeah, he'll know it was looked at, like, eleven years ago!" Prompto told him. And then, "Did you hear that creak?!"

Noct rolled his eyes. "Calm down," he said. "If the elevator breaks, I'll just warp us somewhere safe."

"Even with the ceiling on?"

"I'll blast a hole in the ceiling, then warp us to safety."

Prompto let himself be comforted. Didn't mean he wasn't going to take the stairs on the way down, though.

Noct didn't lead them to the throne room, though. Instead, they took a small detour, heading to Noct's private office. Ignis was waiting for them inside, half-leaning against Noct's desk, and—

Oh. "Hey, Gladio," Prompto said, lifting a hand in greeting. A small thread of guilt tried to worm its way into his justified anger. He did his best to ignore it.

It helped that Gladio was looking at him, face tight, arms crossed in front of him. 

Shit. Dude was _pissed_.

Prompto took a breath, let it out, and braced himself.

Gladio didn't say anything, though, just turned the look on Noct, dismissing Prompto entirely. "The hell have you been?"

Noct arched an eyebrow at him. Prompto wondered if he'd learned that from Ignis. "Eating lunch."

Gladio's jaw clenched. Visibly. "Without telling me?"

Noct looked totally unaffected. "Yep."

Gladio uncrossed his arms to stab a finger angrily towards Noct. "You're the King, Noct," he growled. "You don't have the luxury to just get up and go."

"Ignis knew where I was."

"You were alone and unprotected. If someone had attacked you—"

"If someone had attacked me, I would have dealt with it." He sounded angry. Like, actually angry, like Gladio'd stepped way out of line. Prompto'd almost never heard him use that tone before. He sounded—

He sounded like the king. Some day, Prompto'd get used to that.

"I can take care of myself," Noct continued.

"So could your dad," Gladio cut in.

Holy shit.

He'd actually just said that. Prompto stared at Gladio for a second before turning to check on Noct.

"Yeah," Noct said coldly. "He could. Even while he was crippled and supporting an entire army and the Wall. And he still died."

_Even with a Shield._ He didn't have to say it. It was there in his words, unspoken and loud, Clarus' ghost filling up the room.

"Trust me," Noct said. "I know I can't just leave. Better than you do. But I _will_ hang out with my friend. And I will have lunch when I want to."

Gladio's hands were clenched, nostrils flared, like he was on the verge of just giving in and punching the King. Ignis stood in forced relaxation, all his muscles tense with the effort of looking normal, his expression giving nothing away. 

_Ohshitohshit—_

Gladio drew in a long, slow breath. Let it go, slowly and in control. "You ignored my texts."

"I was busy."

"Eating cheap take-out!"

_Uh, I think you mean delicious noodles?_ Prompto only just managed not to say. It wouldn't go well. He knew this from long experience. 

"Having a life outside the Citadel," Noct corrected. "Having just _one thing_ that's mine." His voice almost cracked and he didn't look happy about it. "I fought for this city. I almost died for it. If I can't eat lunch outside without bodyguards, then what's the point?"

Gladio opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. "Just—be safe."

Noct looked straight at him, serious but honest. "I will," he told Gladio. "And I promise I'll tell you if I'm going anywhere dangerous. But I need you to trust me."

Gladio closed his eyes, looking away in defeat, and Iggy's fake position of relaxation shifted, tension lifting a little. The big guy let out a quiet breath. "Fine."

"Good," Noct said with satisfaction, "because I have a job for you."

Gladio blinked over at him. His interest was piqued, Prompto could tell.

Noct looked over at Prompto. "Might as well tell us what you found," he suggested.

Prompto cleared his throat, extremely not ready for this. "Uh, I, uh, didn't realize I was supposed to give a presentation," he said. "Sorry there's no powerpoint or anything."

Gladio snorted.

And weirdly, it actually helped Prompto relax a little bit. That little snort meant the guy couldn't be _that_ mad at him. He shifted, clearing his throat. "So, uh." He glanced at Noct. "What exactly am I supposed to say, here, buddy?"

Noct shrugged. "Whatever you want."

"Great. That is super helpful." This time Gladio actually laughed. Prompto shot him a grateful grin and launched into it. "Uh. Right. I took a bunch of photos, haven't developed any of them yet. Thought it might be handy for reconstruction to see the lay of the land, y'know? But I did snap a few digital ones as well, for show-and-tell." He pulled out his digital camera, flipping through it to find the right photos, narrating as he went. "Got some good shots of the best buildings, for Noct, and—" he cleared his throat, shooting a glance at Gladio. "Gladio asked me to go investigate the Inpes dam." 

Ignis blinked, his focus sharpening on Prompto.

"As far as I could tell, it looks pretty good. I guess? Lots of water still upriver of the dam, anyway, and the buildings don't look like they've been touched by anything except ivy for the past ten years. Except for the gift shop, had a couple windows broken, but they were still boarded up real tight. Doors all still intact. Like. Super intact. _Really_ intact. Locked shut. Wouldn't budge even when I shot them."

"You _shot_ them?" Noct protested.

"Not them! One!" Prompto corrected himself quickly. "I shot one door! Just to, y'know, see if I could get in that way. It was a long trip, dude, I didn't want to come back empty-handed."

Ignis took a step forward, frowning thoughtfully. "And it still didn't open," he mused.

"Nope. I even, uh, tried kicking it a little—"

Gladio snorted again. "Hopeless," he muttered, shaking his head, but Prompto could see the curve of his mouth.

"Yeah. What he said. It was hopeless." He shrugged. "So I came back to get some explosives."

Gladio turned to look at him, frowning now.

Prompto shrugged. "Figured I might as well see what it's like before we send in the army, right?"

"The army who's been trained for this," Gladio emphasized.

"Dude," Prompto protested. "You know I'm good at this. C'mon, man, you've seen me in action!"

Gladio crossed his arms, looming in Prompto's general direction. "Exactly. I was there if something went wrong."

"I'll be careful."

"Out of the question," Gladio told him. "You're not going alone."

He didn't have the chance to argue, before Noct said, "Great. It's settled then. You two can head out tomorrow morning."

" _What?!_ " Gladio demanded.

Prompto looked at Noct, trying to give him the _I-told-you-so_ eyes, but the jerk wasn't even looking at him.

"You said it yourself," Noct said. "I'm not letting Prompto go alone. Not to a dam with a bag full of explosives."

"You can send someone else." Gladio informed him. "A team." The words lodged solidly into Prompto's chest. _Dammit_. Why'd he have to force the issue, now, here? In front of everyone.

Prompto looked away, biting his lip. He suddenly really wanted to not be here anymore. 

Noct let out a little laugh, though. "You think Prompto would listen to anyone else?" He shrugged. "And I promised I wouldn't do anything stupid without you, so you don't have to worry about me."

"And what if something stupid comes to you?" Gladio demanded.

"I have Ignis," Noct told him. "And the power of all my forebearers and stuff."

"It's my duty to be by your side."

"You have to take a break sometime," Noct told him, tone almost gentle. "Even Clarus went on vacations when you and Iris were kids. I remember Dad talking about it."

Gladio looked away, but he didn't say a word.

"Gladio," Noct said quietly but firmly. "I'm not asking."

Fuck. Prompto couldn't—couldn't let Noct do this, Gladio would never— 

"Dude—" Prompto cut in, "—it's—don't worry about it, I can—I can go with a team or whatever." The words were thick and miserable in his throat. "It's fine." He desperately wanted to get out of here. "Just, uh, text me or something, okay? Once it's all arranged? I gotta go—figure out explosives and stuff."

Everyone was looking at him, Prompto could feel it. He kept his head down, fumbling the camera back into the bag, trying to keep control of his face. Finally managed to force a smile and looked up. "Seriously. It'll be fine. Just me and the glaives. Bonding time, right? Get to feel like part of the team again."

If Prompto didn't know better, he'd think Gladio actually looked guilty over that. Which. Heh. Would only make it worse.

Fuck his life.

"Do you trust me?" Ignis asked quietly.

Before Prompto could figure out who that was aimed at, Gladio answered. "Of course."

Prompto risked looking up again.

"With Noct's life?" Ignis pressed.

Gladio opened his mouth. Closed it. Swallowed. "Yes," he muttered finally. He let out a breath, head turning in Prompto's direction without actually looking at him. "I'll go," he said at last. 

It didn't really feel good, though. Prompto forced out a laugh. "Don't strain yourself there, buddy," he said.

"Prompto—"

"No, I get it," Prompto told him. "Seriously, I do." He let out a breath, trying to—to take the high road, here. 'Cause he did get it. Knew Gladio wasn't deliberately trying to be a dick. But fuck. "And I seriously need to talk to someone about the explosives. Uh, who's in charge of this kind of stuff these days?"

Gladio shook it off. "I can show you," he said. Tossed a significant look back at Ignis, the kind that said, _I'm trusting you, don't fuck it up_ , and must've been satisfied with the look he got in return, because he led Prompto out of the room and down the hall.

It felt weird, just going like that, but no one stopped them. Prompto would have to text Noct later, check in and make sure—well, make sure of everything, really.

They walked silently for a few minutes before Prompto broke the silence. "Just like old times, huh?"

Gladio let out a quiet breath. 

"I'm—" Prompto swallowed, tried again. "I think it could be fun, just the two of us. I'm—" he hesitated, just a second, "looking forward to it." It wouldn't have been a lie, before Noct had pressed the issue. Prompto really hoped it wasn't going to turn into a real lie in the future.

"You hung up on me," Gladio said, just totally out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"On the phone. Said you were busy."

" _Seriously?_ " Prompto said. "You're mad about that?"

"No. I'm confused." 

"Yeah, well." Prompto slowed down. He couldn't talk about this and walk at the same time, somehow. "I was pretty pissed."

Gladio frowned, turning to face him. "About what?"

"We've barely seen each other," Prompto told him. "And then, I finally get back to Insomnia, and the first thing you ask about is Noct."

Gladio blinked. Frowned harder. 

"Did you even miss me?"

Gladio opened his mouth. 

"I know you're busy, dude," Prompto told him. "I don't—I don't want to pull you away from your duty, okay? But. I miss you."

Gladio stared at him, his mouth still hanging open.

And—shit. He didn't really want to have this conversation, especially not right here. "So, uh. I'm kinda looking forward to this. It'll be an adventure, y'know?"

Prompto could see him turn that over in his head. "Yeah," Gladio said finally. And then, a faint flicker of a smile. "Be good to get out of the city."

"Seriously," Prompto agreed, that awful feeling in his chest finally dislodging just a little. 

The flicker of the smile turned into something real. Gladio rolled his shoulders, holding his head a little higher. "You'll have to show me those photos," he said. "I want to see what we're about to walk into." He frowned. "Maybe before we go get the explosives." 

"Sure thing," Prompto said, starting for his camera.

"In my office," Gladio told him, and together they headed down the hall.

Heh. It was kinda irritating, how often Noct turned out to right about this stuff. This thing actually might work after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Prompto startled awake to the sound of the alarm going off. He rolled over, cracking his eyes open, but the dark of the night was still pressing against the windows. Didn't stop Gladio from leaning over, grabbing his phone, and almost bounding out of the bed.

"C'mon," Gladio told him, just. Full of energy. And if it wasn't the middle of the night, Prompto would've been delighted. It'd been months since he'd seen the big guy act like this. "Time to get going."

"Dude, it's—" Prompto rubbed at his eyes. "What time is it? Besides go-back-to-sleep o'clock."

"Told you we were heading out bright and early," Gladio reminded him.

"It's not bright," Prompto groaned. "Just early."

"It will be, by the time we actually leave," Gladio said, pulling on a t-shirt.

Prompto groaned again. "Fine," he said. "Okay, fine, you win. I'm up," and dragged himself out of bed.

Gladio made them an extra big breakfast that morning, eggs, toast, cheese, even some fruit. Prompto was pretty sure he was gonna be full for _days_ , but uh, that was probably also the point. They got the dishes done in record time and set out for the dam, Prompto leading the way.

They made it past Prompto's first campsite before the sun hit its peak in the sky. "Want to stop?" Prompto asked, gesturing over at the courtyard.

Gladio blinked at it. "For lunch?"

"Oh, uh. I mean, maybe? I stayed here overnight last time, but—" He glanced up at the sky again. "We got here waaay earlier than I did last time."

"Any other places to camp along the way?" 

"Yeah! There's another place I know," Prompto told him. "I mean, it took me two days to get to the dam last time, but I was also scouting out the neighborhood for Noct, doing some exploring." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "And getting lost a few times. But mostly exploring. So, uh, I'm not actually sure how long it'll take to get to the second campsite now that I know where we're going."

Gladio thought about it. "Too early to camp," he decided. "Let's move on."

About an hour later, Gladio slowed his chocobo, frowning over at the buildings along the side of the street. 

Prompto held his breath. "What?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Gladio shook his head. "Think I remember this area," he said, pushing his chocobo a little closer to one of the busted buildings, and suddenly let out a short laugh. He nodded at the sign, faded red letters only barely visible in front of a white background. "Papa Pistor's Pizzeria. Used to love coming here as a kid."

"Out here?" Prompto said skeptically. " _You?_ There's just warehouses and, like, sketchy pawn shops out here."

"Yep," Gladio agreed. "And Papa Pistor's."

"How did you even find out about this place?" Prompto demanded. "Even we never came out this way." He assumed the only people who did were low class laborers and, like, druggies. But then, there were tons of places in the city he'd never been. Doing this project for Noct had really emphasized that. All these places he never even knew existed and would never really be able to know, at least not in the way they had been.

"Didn't miss much," Gladio shrugged. "Least, aside from that pizza place. One of my cousins in the guard was stationed out here. Spent most of the time complaining, but made the family come out here at least once a month for pizza."

Prompto took that in. "So they never said anything good about anything except this pizza place?" 

Gladio snorted. "She thought Noct was cute. And she liked dogs. Everything else was a crapshoot."

Prompto nodded thoughtfully. "I mean, that's fair though. Noct is cute." Gladio arched a very skeptical eyebrow at him. "And dogs are pretty great."

"Noct," he repeated disbelievingly. 

"Well, okay, the beard was definitely a step back for him," Prompto admitted. "But have you seen those official photos of him when he was ten? A _dor_ able."

Gladio let out an amused breath, his mouth twitching. "You really want to start complaining about his beard? You're not exactly one to—"

" _Dude._ " Prompto held up a hand to stop him right there. "My beard is a thing of beauty and you're just jealous I pull it off so well."

And that did it. Gladio's sour mood broke, finally, and he laughed. Really laughed. A little longer than was strictly necessary, and a little harder than could be considered polite, but still. Worth it.

"So what made this pizza place so special, anyway?" Prompto asked, moving the conversation forward and away from his beard.

The dude let out what could only be called a dreamy sigh. "Best pizza in town," Gladio told him. "Lots of toppings, lots of cheese, crust so thick it took a whole hour to cook."

It sounded amazing. "I would've killed for a whole hour alone with my parents," Prompto said with his own dreamy sigh.

"Good as the pizza," Gladio agreed.

"We should see if the courtyard is still there," Prompto said impulsively. 

Gladio hesitated. 

"Gotta take a break for lunch, anyway," Prompto added. "Might as well have it here. Plus, maybe we'll find something cool inside."

"Decade-old pizza crust," Gladio muttered, but he also dismounted from his chocobo and followed Prompto inside.

The place was small, quaint. And totally trashed, shards of glass littering the floor, but at least the tables were still intact, made of good solid wood. Prompto picked his way carefully through the dining room towards a door at the other end. "This the way to the patio?" he asked, pointing.

"Yep."

The door was stuck closed, and Prompto felt the old, familiar thrill. There could be anything behind the door. A hungry, angry beast. A group of raiders, guns raised and pointed straight at him. Dead bodies or a pile of clothes. 

Or—he shot the lock, the wood splintering around the metal, the door falling open and Gladio looming behind him—absolutely nothing.

Prompto felt almost disappointed. 

There were a handful of tables scattered through the small courtyard. A few of them even still had their tablecloths, faded from the sun, dirty from the weather. The grass had grown in patches around them, tall and wild, and vines crept up the legs of the tables, along the sides of the wall.

Okay, this kinda made up for his initial disappointment. Prompto fumbled for his camera, snapping a few shots, while Gladio stood in the doorway behind him, motionless.

"You have a favorite table?" Prompto asked him.

The big guy shook his head.

"So I get to pick, is what you're saying." 

Gladio let out a breath and shook it off, coming away from his memories and back to the world. "Knock yourself out."

They ate lunch at the cleanest table, pulling the tablecloth free from its clamps and revealing a mostly clean surface underneath. Thank the stars. Prompto helped Gladio spread out their selection of dried sausage, bread, cheese, and jam. 

"So," Prompto said as they ate, "what did a tiny Gladio like to eat?"

"Pizza."

"Okay, I got that," Prompto told him. "What _kind_ of pizza, dude."

"Hawaiian."

Prompto blinked, taking that in. "Huh," he said thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Just would've thought it'd be like, all meat, plus extra meat. You know." Prompto flexed his arms, a bit of bread still in hand. "Extra protein for a growing boy."

"It was my mom's favorite," Gladio said, and Prompto fell quiet. Gladio _never_ talked about his mom. "And the combination of sweet pineapple and salty ham can't be beat. Add some peppers in for spice and it's the perfect taste sensation." 

Prompto laughed. "We'll have to see if we can recreate it someday."

"We'll see if Cindy kept any of those peppers alive."

"And maybe talk to Iggy about it, first," Prompto added. "If anyone knows how to recreate a deep dish pizza, it'd be him."

"We can manage without him," Gladio said with totally unearned confidence. "Can't be that hard."

"Dude you have just jinxed us so bad," Prompto laughed. "You might as well have said, 'What could go wrong.' This pizza is doomed to be an utter disaster." He tore a bite of bread off with his teeth, pointing at Gladio with the remaining slice. "We'll be lucky if the house doesn't burn down. With us inside."

Gladio just laughed, like he thought Prompto was joking instead of prophesying their disastrous future. 

"Whatever, dude," Prompto told him. "It's your pizza's funeral."

"Think I'll survive," he said dryly. 

"Will you?" Prompto asked. "Will _I?_ Will any of us? Clearly you've never known the soul-crushing consequences of a pizza gone wrong."

Gladio arched an eyebrow. "And you have?"

"Well—I've burned a frozen pizza before," Prompto admitted. "And, uh, undercooked one. I'm not sure which was worse."

Gladio snorted. "Right. You're not allowed to help, then."

"Good," Prompto sniffed. "I didn't want to help anyway." He paused. "I still get to eat it though, right? This isn't going to be like Chocochick Little or something."

Gladio frowned at him. "What?"

"You know, the story about Chocochick Little? He didn't want to help bake any bread so the mean mama hen wouldn't let him eat any?"

Gladio shook his head. "The Little Red Chocobo," he corrected.

Prompto blinked. "Oh." Frowned. Yeah, that was totally it. He shrugged. "Close enough. There was a little bird involved at least."

Gladio stared at him for a full five seconds before breaking down and laughing. 

They finally packed up their lunch and Prompto wiped the crumbs off the table without really thinking about it. Wasn't like there was anyone left to complain about the mess, but it just seemed wrong, somehow. And anyway, it'd look bad to take a selfie with a table full of crumbs behind them.

"Hold up," he called, digging out his tripod before Gladio could get too far away. "Photo op time!"

Gladio rolled his eyes, but he came back, the smallest hint of a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. It was easy to drag him into the photo, one arm wrapped around the big guy's shoulders so that they were both in the photo together.

Prompto checked the shot quick. It'd turned out great. The tripod had sunk a little in the soil, the framing a little angled, but you could see the green of the grass and ivy, the red of the table cloths, the blue of the sky behind them. And you could see Gladio's grin, wide and genuine, going all the way to his eyes. 

"Okay. We can go," Prompto told him, and they headed out again.

\- - -

They moved fairly quickly through the rest of the city. Prompto remembered most of the streets, only taking them down a few dead ends by mistake. He usually caught the mistake before they wasted too much sunlight, but this time they'd gone almost ten minutes before he noticed the pile of debris blocking their way. Not that Gladio saw it, either. In fact, he just pushed his chocobo faster. 

"Whoa!" Prompto called after him. "There's no way through that."

"Need to check something," Gladio replied, his voice weirdly grim.

"Uh, okay," he said, nudging Acorn a little faster, too. "What's up?"

Gladio didn't answer right away, his attention fixed on one of the store buildings. He finally slowed to a stop a few feet in front of it, his face tight, shoulders hunched. "Unacceptable," he said, still in that grim voice.

Prompto blinked, following his gaze, squinting his eyes to try and read the faded, cracked sign. "L&C Tax Inc.?" he said skeptically. "You not up on your taxes, big guy? Because—no offense or anything, but I don't think it's tax season for another two years at least. I mean, maybe if Iggy gets his way, but—"

"The window," Gladio cut him off, his words clipped. 

Uh. The window. Okay. So they were gonna play twenty questions, only instead of questions it'd just be random nouns. Prompto could work with that. Maybe. He looked the window over, trying to see what Gladio was seeing. It was boarded up, like most windows, just a few shards of glass still left.

Only. "Oh, shit." In a shard at the corner of _this_ window, carefully drawn in red paint, was a stylized, flaming Grenade. "The Sons of Ifrit," Prompto breathed, and fuck. _Fuck._ He felt suddenly exposed, _really_ exposed, standing here in the middle of a street. 

The Sons of Ifrits. Grenades. _Raiders._ A group big enough and bad enough to actually make a name for themselves. Several names, actually, but everyone knew about the Sons. Everyone started packing their bags when graffitied grenades started showing up on the walls.

Prompto'd found a few of the bases they'd sacked, back in the darkness. The memory still made him sick.

And now the Grenades had made it to Insomnia.

"How did no one notice that?" Gladio growled, stabbing a finger towards the symbol. "One of the patrols should've seen it. Brought it to my attention." 

Prompto swallowed. "It's probably not active," he said. He _hoped._ "I mean—we're still standing here. Not being attacked." Took a breath. "And, uh, I mean, I haven't seen any stakes or dismembered limbs or anything, so, uh." He lifted a hand, waving a tiny imaginary flag. "Woo?"

"The hell am I sending patrols out for if none of them are bothering to use their eyes?" 

That was probably a rhetorical question. The dude sounded mad. Really mad. Prompto opened his mouth anyway. 

"Uh… to look for current, active threats?" he tried. "To map the city and clean up rubble? To make the citizens feel safe? "

Gladio pointed at the window again. " _That_ is not going to make anyone feel safe. Sons of fucking bitches. They're here. In Insomnia."

"They were here," Prompto clarified. " _Were_ here."

Gladio turned to glare at him. It wasn't really to glare _at_ him, though, it was more like he was just glaring and also he looking at Prompto. Prompto knew him well enough to tell the difference. "You willing to bet lives on that?"

Fuck. Prompto hated it when he did this. He knew security was Gladio's job, but he never even allowed for the idea that maybe, just maybe, not everything was an active threat. "Okay," Prompto told him, holding up a finger, "a) the door to that tax-shop-turned-hell-pit isn't closed, which does not sound like the sort of thing the Sons of Ifrit would do, and b)," he held up a second finger, " _not_ why we're here. We're on a mission. From the _king_. You can go yell at your patrols when we get back."

Gladio frowned. "We should go back now," he said, confirming the worst of Prompto's fears.

"Dude, no," Prompto said. "This hideout is old. It can wait."

"Noct needs to know about this. At the very least, we need to tell Iggy."

Prompto took a breath. "You have a signal?"

Gladio blinked at him.

"Like, on your cell phone," Prompto explained. "We are still in the city. Barely. Maybe—"

Gladio pulled out his phone. Shook his head. "Nothing."

Prompto checked his, too. And—yeah. Nothing. "Noct is fine," Prompto told him. "He's in the middle of the Citadel, and you _know_ Iggy won't let anyone get near him. Definitely not anyone with a grenade tattooed on their skin. We should just—you know, send a text, just in case the signal picks up again, and keep moving." Gladio didn't look convinced. And alright, time to get out the big guns. "Plus, if you go back there now, send out a search party and make a big ruckus, you know Iggy's gonna judge you when it turns out this is just an old hideout, right? Even Noct will have that look—" Prompto did his best to mimic Noct's look of boredom and apathy, the one that only came out when you were being an idiot, "—you know, all super unimpressed. The one he inherited from Iggy."

Gladio took that in, frowning. Actually thought about it before shaking his head. "If Noct's in danger—"

The dude was impossibly stubborn, sometimes. "Okaaay," Prompto said slowly. "Well. Can't hurt to take a look, right?" He could think of a million ways it could hurt. Badly. Really super badly. He didn't give Gladio time to argue, though, just slid off his chocobo and moving towards the door as quietly as he could, keeping an eye out for any movement, listening hard for a telltale rustle. Reached into the armiger for his gun, nerves on edge.

"Anybody home?" he called. "My taxes are a little late, I was wondering if you could—"

"The hell are you doing?" Gladio hissed at him.

"If anyone's in there, they definitely would've heard us talking by now," Prompto pointed out. "And I seriously have no idea how to do taxes and they are _definitely_ late." 

Gladio rolled his eyes.

Prompto ignored him. And. Okay. Deep breath. Here went nothing. He gave Gladio a significant _look_ and kicked the door open, moving into the room gun first.

Silence. And _darkness_. The boarded up windows didn't let much light in, which had never been a problem before. But they'd never had to do this in the sunlight before, either. Prompto moved in slowly, trying to give his eyes time to adjust while keeping his body small, but in the end, it didn't really matter. Nothing happened. He tactfully kept his _I told you so_ to himself, though.

Now that he could see a little, he could tell that the place had been abandoned for months. Probably since before the dawn. Trash lay in heaps, old and dried out, and a thick layer of dust covered every surface. No sign of activity. Probably not even anything of value left.

"Still want to head back and warn Iggy of impending doom?" It was out before Prompto could stop himself.

Gladio ignored him, tense and on edge. "Let's look around."

Prompto nodded his agreement, moving carefully around the counter to take a look and something jumped out at him with a loud crash, big and dark and fast. Gladio was there before Prompto could even figure out where to aim, putting himself between Prompto and whatever that _thing_ was, his sword out and ready to block the incoming attack. 

It never came. 

" _Thehellwasthat?!_ " Prompto finally managed to squeak out, his heart beating about a million times a minute.

"Keep your eyes open," Gladio warned. 

So he didn't know either. "Great," Prompto muttered. "I love surprises." 

And then he saw it. A flurry of activity by the entrance and _the thing_ passed through the shaft of light that was falling in through the doorway. 

"Raccoon," Prompto breathed. "It's a raccoon. Fuck."

Gladio didn't put his sword away, though. Prowled around the building, first, investigating the rest of the rooms for any other sign of life. He finally gave up a few minutes later, dismissing his weapon back into the armiger with a loud breath. "Let's get to it."

"You got it, big guy," Prompto said, only just managing to keep his mouth shut about _close encounters of the raccoon kind._ Gladio was already pissy enough today as it was. 

Prompto poked around the front desk, looking around for—anything, really. Information. A helpful map, maybe, with their next hideout location circled in red. Or maybe a forwarding address. Even a photograph of a landmark or, like, a goodbye letter, stained with tears and a few confessions from the guilty conscience of a Grenade.

He didn't find anything, though, besides some initials carved into the fake wood countertop, a lot of dust, and three consecutive sneezes in a row from poking at the wrong pile of trash. 

"Find anything?" Prompto called, moving on to investigate a cupboard.

"No." Gladio sounded disgusted.

"Me neither," Prompto sighed. "Unless 'LSM was here' counts."

Gladio didn't bother to answer.

Half an hour later, they finally gave up, emerging from the dim building into the bright sunshine, itchy as hell from all the dust. Prompto didn't ask about that whole 'warning Iggy' plan and Gladio didn't bring it up. He didn't object, either, when Prompto led them down the road heading out of Insomnia.

\- - -

They made good time. It was weirdly difficult to find the campsite again. Prompto knew where it _should_ have been—right off the road, close to the shelter of the Wall, but the sun was sinking low in the sky, casting everything into its long shadows. Wasn't like he'd marked it, either. It'd just been a nice, homey pile of rubble he'd stayed at.

They dismounted from their chocobos and led them through the debris, picking their way around the biggest boulders. Prompto'd just about given up hope of finding it when Gladio literally tripped over the remains of the campsite. The dude bent down to peer at the rocks he'd stepped on.

"Nice fire pit," Gladio grunted.

Prompto peered at him suspiciously. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"No." He poked at the small stones with his shoe. "Not very good anymore, though."

"You broke it, you reconstruct it," Prompto informed him.

Gladio flashed a grin his way. "Deal. You gotta set up the rest of the campsite, though."

That—that was a terrible deal, but Prompto couldn't exactly back out now. Gladio finished his chores way faster than Prompto, but at least he helped finish setting up camp before summoning a fish rod from the armiger and heading off towards the lake.

"That better not be Noct's," Prompto called after him.

"Who do you think taught him to fish?" Gladio tossed back over his shoulder.

"Oh em gee," Prompto whispered. He raced after Gladio. "Seriously?"

Gladio had the fishing rod slung over one shoulder. "One of those camping trips you were talking about before, when you were trying to guilt me into taking more vacation time like my dad." Prompto winced. "His Grace came along. Brought Noct too." 

Huh. "What about Iggy?" 

Gladio blinked, frowned. Frowned harder. "Now that you mention it... I don't remember him there."

Prompto laughed. "No wonder the poor guy has no constructive advice."

"Just don't let _him_ hear you say that," Gladio warned, slowing down as they made it to the edge of the lake. He looked around, trying to find the best spot.

"For fishing," Prompto hastily clarified. "Great advice for everything else."

"Don't tell him that either," Gladio said dryly. "He's bad enough as it is."

Prompto grinned. "I think he knows."

Gladio finally picked a spot, casting his line with good form. Or, uh, Prompto assumed it was good form. It made his ass look great, anyway. And his shoulders. And his—okay, his _everything_ , but that was just a normal Tuesday for the big guy. 

The lighting was a little too dark to get any really good photos, but he did help Gladio clean and prepare the fish when he'd finished, at least. And. "Oh man, this is delicious," Prompto sighed happily. "Hunger really is the best sauce." 

"Did you even do anything?" Gladio asked, an eyebrow raised. "Your chocobo did most of the hard work and I caught dinner."

"I shouted encouragement!"

"You scared the fish."

Prompto rolled his eyes. "And yet, _somehow_ you had no trouble catching enough for dinner."

Gladio winked at him.

It was _seriously_ unfair how charming he could be when he wanted to be. 

Eventually, the sun slid far enough from the horizon to allow the stars to peek out. Prompto stood up, heading off to clean their dishes, and came back to sit on the ground beside the fire, leaning back on his hands to look up at the sky. 

"Kinda thought I'd never see them again," he said quietly. "Forgot how bright they are."

"Iggy'd be up in arms if he heard you talk like that." Gladio's voice was quiet, only a little louder than the crackle of the fire. It was that kind of night.

Prompto shrugged. "Yeah, but he's not here. And it doesn't matter any more, anyway. We got to keep both Noct and the sun." He looked up again. "And the stars, too."

Gladio poked at the fire one more time before coming to sit next to Prompto, leaning back to look up at the stars too. "More light in the city than I thought," he said quietly.

"Yeah," Prompto agreed. "Feels dark at home compared to what it used to be, but—" he let out a quiet huff. "Guess no one wants to turn off the lights, anymore."

He let himself lay back against the cold stone of their campsite, eyes still on the stars. A few of them looked kinda familiar, but the whole universe could've changed configuration during the darkness and he probably wouldn't even know the difference. There were so _many_ of them. It kinda made him dizzy, like he was standing on the edge of the earth looking down at them instead of the other way around. "You know which star that one is?" he asked, picking a bright star at random and pointing.

Gladio sat back, trying to follow Prompto's finger. "That star?" he asked skeptically. "That _one_. Out of thousands."

"Or constellation," Prompto shrugged. "Noct just spent so much time with his thoughts up there, seems like. I've always wondered."

Gladio snorted out a laugh. "Nice way to put it, I guess."

"You know what I mean," Prompto argued. "I mean—yeah, he slept a lot and was kinda spacey, but he knew his stuff about the cosmos."

"His dad used to take him out a lot to look at them," Gladio said quietly. "Usually brought Iggy along, too."

Prompto took that in. "Noct tried to tell me about it a couple times but, uh." He scratched at his forehead, "I didn't always. Remember? Or pay attention." He felt like a shitty friend, but Noct'd done the same for him, when he needed to just talk and have someone listen. About cars. And girls. And video games. 

"The stars can tell you a lot more than just the astrology bullshit," Gladio said, interrupting his train of thought.

Prompto blinked, pulled his attention back. "So tell me, then."

Gladio pointed at the star Prompto picked. "That's Leviathan's Net," he said. "The bright star at the top points north, to direct lost sailors."

"A net?" Prompto objected. "Really? You could pick a bunch of stars at random and call them a net."

He could feel Gladio shrug beside him. "The stars there are more evenly spread," he said. "Legend goes Leviathan hauls the sun up every morning with the net."

Huh. That was actually pretty cool. "So you do know the astrology bullshit."  
  
Gladio sputtered a little. "Had to pick some of it up, didn't I, babysitting the two of _them_."

Prompto grinned. "Iggy hear you say you had to babysit him, he'd be up in arms, you know."

Gladio's teeth flashed in the dark, grinning wide. "Can't prove I wasn't talking about Iris."

Prompto elbowed him, but not hard. "Fine," he said, scooting over to be a little closer. "Know any other facts about the stars?"

Gladio lay down, finally, lifting an arm to point near the horizon. "Ifrit's Bowl," he said, and Prompo shifted closer, following the line of his finger with his eyes at the same time as he settled in, resting his head on Gladio's shoulder. Listened as Gladio described a few other constellations, citing various functional reasons for his knowledge instead of just admitting he liked them. Prompto let him. Tonight? He just wanted to lay here, close and happy, and watch the stars slowly march across the sky. 

"Been awhile," he heard himself say after a few minutes.

"Mm?" He felt more than heard the low rumble in Gladio's chest. 

"Since we got to do this," he explained. "Forgot how nice it is."

Gladio made that rumble again, quiet but content, and Prompto couldn't help but scratch at his chest a little, like the guy was some kind of pet behemoth.

"Be nice if we could do this more often."

Gladio let out a breath. "You know why I can't. My place is next to Noct."

His place. It hit harder, somehow, than hearing about his duty. "Yeah," Prompto said, managing to keep most of the bitterness out of his voice. "I know. But—you can still say you miss it, right? Or—I don't know, want it, even when you know you can't have it."

Gladio grunted.

"Getting out. Breathing this fresh outdoor air."

"Yeah," Gladio let out, like saying it out loud was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. "Nice to get out. Do something myself, for once." Instead of ordering a glaive to do it, he meant. 

Prompto snuggled in, but there was something that wouldn't stop niggling away at him. He wanted to just close his eyes and forget about everything, enjoy laying here, looking up at the stars with the fire crackling and Gladio's arm around him. But it was one of those things. The harder he tried to ignore it, the more it ate away at him. 

Gladio missed getting out of the city. He hadn't said anything about Prompto. 

Prompto closed his eyes, breathed. He wasn't going to ask. Didn't want to hear it said out loud, his question or Gladio's answer. It wouldn't fix anything. And he'd just feel weird afterwards, like he always did, like he couldn't just keep his mouth closed. He wasn't gonna be that guy. He was better than that. And he knew Gladio better than that, so he sealed his mouth shut and breathed, feeling the rise and fall of Gladio's chest and trying to ignore the ache in his own.

Gladio surprised him, though, shifting to turn his head in Prompto's direction. "What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Said you wanted to do it more. What're you missing?"

The question caught somewhere in his chest, heavy and awkward. He wanted to get the words out, get them right, but they refused to stay in his brain, buzzing around like bees whose hive had just been kicked."Heh," he said finally. "I guess—all of it?" Swallowed. "A lot, actually." He tucked his legs up, closer to his body. Gladio was quiet, listening. Focused, all on him. "Especially this part."

"Camping?"

"Uh. Not really." Prompto shifted. "More like. Yanno. Being with you." 

It hung in the air between them. Prompto felt like he could almost reach out and poke it, pop it like some giant bubble, dispel all the tension and just start over.

"You're with me all the time," Gladio said, sounding blank.

"I mean—yeah," Prompto said. "With you but we're not like, actually _together_ then, you know?",

"No. I don't." He wa s already on the defensive. 

And—fuck. Prompto didn't want to have an argument about it, not now. "Just forget it."

"No," Gladio growled, pushing himself upright. "The hell do you mean, not actually together?"

Prompto sat up and took a breath, let it out. "Whenever I'm home, you're at work. Or vice versa." He gestured vaguely. "We just never get to see each other anymore."

A long, quiet silence. "You miss me," Gladio said slowly, almost like he was quoting something.

"Yep." Prompto let out a short laugh. "Pretty much sums it up."

Gladio's hand tightened on Prompto's back. A moment passed, and another, and then, slowly and deliberately, he rolled over to straddle him. Leaned down, slow and deliberate, and made his apologies the only way he could, mouth pressed against Prompto's throat, his fingers spelling out his need against Prompto's skin. 

Prompto wasn't sure he was ready to forgive him, not quite. But he was more than happy to welcome him in.


	5. Chapter 5

Gladio woke up feeling better than he had in weeks. The light of the sun filtered in through the thin fabric of the tent, the air clean and cool. Even better, his body just felt _good_. 

It'd been a good night.

Looked to be a good morning, too. Prompto was already up, boiling some water on the campfire, a skillet placed carefully over it, full of eggs and some thick slices of breads. 

"Looks good," Gladio told him, stretching.

Prompto blinked up, his face wide open for a second before it split into a grin. "Good. Because there's no way I can eat all this by myself."

"Gotta keep our energy up," Gladio said. "Might be a long day."

"No kidding," Prompto muttered. He pulled the kettle off the fire, pouring them out some tea and handing a mug over to Gladio before settling back on his haunches, eyes on the pan. "Probably take us half the day to get to the dam." He gestured over to the distance. "Pretty much a straight shot from here, but it takes longer to get there than you think. Place is pretty big."

"I've been there before."

Prompto let out a laugh. "Yeah. So have I. Not quite the same thing to go there as a tourist, though."

Gladio let it go. "So what should I expect?"

He flipped the eggs and toast, and settled back, launching into a description of his trip there. Gladio'd heard most of it already, but it was easier to picture out here, the distant buildings giving him some kind of framework. 

Prompto kept talking through breakfast, even pulling out his camera to show Gladio a few photos. 

"You're sure the employee apartments are empty?" Gladio asked, swallowing a mouthful of the tea Prompto'd made.

"I mean, I didn't go exploring or anything. But the building looked like it hadn't been touched in years, so, yeah, probably." He considered it for a second. "Or at least, if someone or—" he lowered his voice, tone taking on a spooky quality, "—some _thing_ lives there, it didn't come out and bother me." He shrugged. "Don't think we need to worry too much about it."

Gladio still had doubts. The dam was built defensively, set high along a natural cliff with a view that stretched for miles. Plenty of access to land and water meant it could easily stay self reliant. Perfect place to go if you wanted to set up a base somewhere off the grid.

He kept the thought to himself. Prompto was already convinced he was paranoid. No need to have _that_ conversation again. And anyway, the guy got spooked easily enough as it was. Gladio didn't need him picking at it for the rest of the day. Be easy enough to keep an eye out as they looked around the dam. 

Breakfast didn't take long. They packed up and headed out while the sun was still just beginning its climb over the Wall.  
By the time they made it to the dam, the sky had turned a deep blue color, sun warm and bright in contrast to the few clouds creeping in on the horizon. From up on the Wall, he could see almost all the way back to Insomnia, the plants spreading green and eager across the land. 

He'd almost forgotten what it felt like. No paperwork to finish, no desk to hold him bound to an office. He took a deep breath.

Freedom. 

They passed by a decent-sized parking lot and headed towards a small building with a large courtyard set to one side. The courtyard had probably been full of flowers at one point, but now it was just a mess of dirt and weeds. 

"And this," Prompto said, standing in front of the courtyard and gesturing proudly at the building like he'd personally unearthed a rare treasure, "is the gift shop."

An overhang still protected the front of the building and its many windows from the weather. The windows had been solidly boarded up. Professional job, at least, instead of the slipshod craftsmanship of the gangs. Some of the glass covering the windows was still unbroken, even, the wood nailed behind it enough of a deterrent to keep people from trying. Assuming anyone had made it out this. Gladio grudgingly allowed himself to consider the possibility that the dam had actually lain untouched until now.

"Gift shop?" Gladio repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You actually got in?" If there had been a sign before, it wasn't there now. The place was a blank, featureless building, the boarded-up windows offering zero information. 

"Nah," Prompto said, "It's locked up tight. I just remember it from way back when. This was like. _The_ place if you were a tourist. Met up with tour guides, bought tickets, bought stupid souvenirs. You know."

Gladio let out a laugh. "If you say so."

"They had this awesome hoodie," Prompto added dreamily. "Chocobo give a dam? It was so cool."

Gladio's eyebrow went up again.

"Because they helped build the dam, right? Back in the day. And the hoodie had this really sweet chocobo on the back." He laughed. "Plus, it was as close to swearing as I could get in high school."

"Sounds like you alright."

Prompto ignored him. "Wonder if there are any left."

"You want to blow up the door to the gift shop to check for a sweater?" Gladio asked.

"No!" He hesitated. "I mean—no. Not yet. Not until we, you know, make it into the dam itself." He grinned at Gladio. "It can be our last stop on the way home. A treat, for making it all the way through."

Gladio snorted, shaking his head. "Dumbass."

Prompto grinned at him. "You want to see the sweater. Admit it."

"If it'll make you shut up? Yeah."

"Oh, you are _on_."

"After we investigate the dam," Gladio warned him. 

Prompto just laughed. 

They moved on, following the road that led towards the dam itself, the faint rush of water growing louder as they approached. "Thing is still running?" Gladio asked, surprised. Not that he'd doubted Prompto, but it there was more than just a small stream coming out, from the sound of it. He moved his bird closer to the edge to peer over. 

It was a long drop into the valley beneath, water jetting out of from the dam, the spray of the mist obscuring the rocks below. 

"Well—" Prompto said, staying right where he was in the middle of the road, "I mean, yeah, there's water going out. But like… that doesn't mean it's storing the energy, right? Might just mean someone left the sluice open before they turned into a daemon."

"Sluice, huh?" He was almost impressed.

Prompto stiffened in mock indignation. "Give a guy some credit! I know some stuff! I did some research! While I still had data, anyway."

"Huh," Gladio said again, actually impressed now. "So how do we know if it's working?"

"We get inside," Prompto said, "and find the generators. They're, uh, basically big turbines spinning around? Probably really loudly."

"Your plan is to see how loud the inside of the dam is?" Gladio asked skeptically.

" _Part_ of the plan." He shrugged. "Most of the plan is to just take a lot of photos and bring them back for Iggy to look at."

Gladio laughed. "Sounds like a better plan."

Prompto raised a hand, flipping him off, and moved on.

He stopped again next to what had to be the locked closet full of brooms Prompto had described that morning. "Supply closet?" Gladio asked, waving at it.

"As far as I know," Prompto shrugged. "I mean, I didn't exactly spend a whole lot of time trying to shoot a hole in the door." He gestured. "Besides, it's just like all the other locks. Impossible to get into unless—" a sharp grin flashed across his face, bright and dangerous, "—you happened to bring the right tools, that is."

"You're gonna blow up a supply closet?" Gladio demanded.

"I wasn't intending to, but—"

Gladio slid off his chocobo. "You think you could manage it?"

"I mean, yeah, probably, but—" he glanced over at all the water behind them. "If I don't manage, we're fucked."

"I trust you," Gladio said, and tried the doorknob.

It was unlocked.

"Holy shit," Prompto whispered. "It opened."

"Thought you said you checked this when you came here before?" Gladio asked, frowning. 

"I mean—I thought I did? But—" he shrugged. "Maybe the handle was stuck?"

It _had_ caught slightly. It was a reminder they needed to be careful, though. Gladio glanced around, but nothing looked out of place. At least the dam made it nearly impossible to hide a sizeable force. 

"Uh—" Prompto said, peering into the closet. "Is that—an elevator?"

Gladio blinked. Turned on his flashlight to help get a closer look at the inside of the room. There was nothing inside except the closed doors of what had to be an elevator, one single metal button laid into the wall. 

They glanced at each other uncertainly.

"No way," Prompto said firmly. "There is _no way_ I am descending into whatever hell is waiting at the bottom of this decade old elevator shaft."

Gladio snorted. "You went into the elevator in the Balovue mines."

"And it was terrible!" He shuddered. "Anyway, that thing at least functioned."

"Because Noct got in it first," Gladio said, amused.

"Are _you_ gonna get in this death trap?"

"Not a chance."

" _Thank you_ ," Prompto said, like finally Gladio was talking sense. "I mean, there's gotta be stairs somewhere, right? It's like. Fire code."

"So let's keep looking."

"Right. Well, there's not a whole lot left." Prompto started down the road again. "Mostly just that door I shot at."

Gladio followed him across the bridge. The place stood out, with the control tower perched above the main building, and the door marked by bullets, all centered around the handle. And there, past their own building and set into the cliff a little, stood another. Square and blocky, windows placed at even intervals, and entirely covered with ivy. 

"That the staff quarters?" Gladio asked, nodding over at the building across the 

"Yep." He hesitated. "I mean, as far as I know."

It was pretty far away. Not far enough for comfort, though. 

Gladio took a quick walk around Prompto's abandoned building, trying to get a good look at all sides, look for any weaknesses. There was a door in the back he couldn't remember Prompto mentioning. "You tried this one?" he called, already sliding off his chocobo to try the handle.

Prompto's head peeked out from around the corner of the building. "Dude! Of course I tried the door. Give me some credit."

"Didn't shoot this one."

"Uh, yeah? It looks exactly the same as the front."

Gladio grudgingly gave him the point, coming back around to the front of the building to find Prompto squatting in front of the door, digging through his pack of plastic explosives.

"Whoa," Gladio said, "hold up."

Prompto looked up at him, eyebrow arched. "Did you want to do this?" he asked skeptically, lifting a piece of explosive up.

"I want to try the door," Gladio informed him.

Prompto let out a snort, but he didn't say anything, just sat back on his haunches and gestured over. "Go for it, then, big guy. Don't let me stop you."

Gladio ignored his tone. It wasn't that he doubted him. The guy was resourceful and he'd definitely bulked up since Gladio'd started training with him. But in terms of sheer strength, he just didn't have it. Not compared to Gladio.

And that door to the elevator had opened. No reason not to try this one before they resorted to explosives. 

Tried the knob. Locked. Gave the door a firm shove, his weight behind it. Still nothing. Next shove, Gladio put his full force behind it. 

Nothing.

"Alright," he said, finally satisfied. "Go for it," and stepped back.

Prompto flashed him a small, knowing grin, and Gladio ignored that, too. Crossed his arms and watched him work, fast and efficient. Wondered how many times he'd had to do this over the past decade. 

Too damn often. He'd thought they'd left all this behind them, that Prompto could finally relax, feel safe for once. But here they were again, breaking into an energy facility that hadn't been touched for a decade. No idea what might be waiting for them inside, or how stable the place was. How little it might take to bring the whole thing down on their heads.

"That's a low power explosive, right?" Gladio asked. 

"I know what I'm doing," Prompto told him. He didn't even try to answer the question. "Trust me."

"I do," Gladio said. "But—"

"No," Prompto interrupted, one hand held up, finger shaking in disapproval. "There are no buts in trust."

Gladio ground his teeth together.

"Only fiiine asses," Prompto said, his grin all in his tone as he worked the plastic explosive with his hand. He finally pressed the pieces up against the door, close to the lock and hinges.

Gladio rolled his eyes. Kept his mouth shut and watched Prompto push the detonating caps into place, his nerves on high alert. 

"That should do it," Prompto said finally. "Let's get outta here."

Gladio was more than happy to listen to him for once. 

Prompto led them to a safe distance from the door and gestured Gladio and the chocobos back behind him. As if he could shield them if something went wrong, but Gladio let himself crouch down behind him. 

"Three," Prompto murmured. He had to make it dramatic, of course. "Two…," and Gladio's muscles tensed, "— _one_."

The explosion was loud. It was always loud, and the shock of it always left him breathless, mouth pulling back into a fierce, challenging grin. Prompto took a breath and looked back at him, Gladio's own grin mirrored on his face.

"Well," Gladio said after a moment. He was still grinning. "Dam didn't burst."

Prompto laughed. "Hopefully the door did."

"Only one way to find out," Gladio said and got up, heading over to check it out. When he looked back, though, Prompto wasn't following him. He was still behind their shelter, running a comforting hand along the chocobos' feathers, scritching behind their heads, talking to them too low to make out. Calming them down.

Kid was a good one. Gladio took a breath, feeling it warm in chest. Watched him for a long moment before finally calling, "Prompto! C'mon. Let's go."

"Yep! There in a jiffy!"

Gladio turned back to the building. Prompto'd catch up with him eventually. 

He'd really done a number on the door. It was bent out of shape, twisted and blown in, but it still clung to its hinges. Still there, still in the way, thick and unreasonable and unmoving. " _Prompto!_ "

Prompto jerked and ran over, fast enough to be a little breathless when he skidded to a stop. "Uh hu—?" He stopped, staring. "Oh fuck, you've gotta be kidding me."

"You got any more explosive?" 

Prompto swallowed. "A lot. I wasn't sure what we'd need, but, uh—" he swept his hands toward the door, and on, toward the rest of the dam. "I seriously don't know how to engineer this. The door was closed, the blast was predictable, but—" He hesitated. "I mean, the building isn't really _connected_ to the dam itself. It should be fine."

" _Should_ be?" Gladio demanded. 

"Signs point to yes?" Prompto said, screwing his face up.

"Not good enough," Glado growled. 

"No, but listen, seriously. If I put a little to the side of the door near the hinges—"

Gladio moved forward. _Hinges_. The damn thing had hinges. It was probably too much to hope they weren't reinforced, but the blast had exposed them, at least. Might be worth it to check.

"Um?" Prompto asked.

"Shut up for a sec," Gladio muttered, examining them. They _were_ reinforced, but they weren't made of the same thick steel the rest of the door was. A good solid hit should break them off. And if there was anything Gladio was good at, it was hitting things.

"Stand aside," he told Prompto and pulled his sword out of the armiger. Rolled his shoulders a few times, setting himself up, and _swung_ , bringing steel down on steel. He felt the hinge give way under the pressure. Another swing and it fell away—not entirely but enough that they could both fit through. 

Prompto ran in first, before Gladio could take the lead, squeezing through the small opening the door had left. Gladio followed shortly on his heels, keeping his sword in hand. He didn't think there would be anything inside still alive to cause trouble, but that kind of thinking could get them both killed. 

"Stay sharp," Gladio told Prompto, keeping his voice low.

"You know it," Prompto said, his whisper almost louder than his usual voice.

"And _quiet_."

Prompto let out a low laugh, and that was it. 

Gladio ignored the sudden pull of heat in his gut. They'd have time for that later. First they had to finish scouting the dam, beginning with this room. 

It wasn't much to look at. Typical office. They could've been back in that tax center, for all Gladio knew, only this room had two extra doors against the back wall.

Huh. There'd only been one from the outside.

Prompto managed to stay quiet for ten entire seconds before he asked, "Ever been inside here before?" At least he kept his voice low.

Gladio shook his head, pointedly keeping his mouth shut. 

"It's not very impressive."

"What were you expecting?" Gladio replied, unable to stop himself.

"Something more—dammy," Prompto said. "This is just desks and stuff. I was thinking, like. Dreary halls. Dripping concrete. You know. Dark and dank and damp."

"You sound like a thesaurus."

"A what?"

Gladio ignored that. He was pretty sure Prompto was kidding.

"Is that, like, a type of dinosaur I don't know about?"

"It's not a dinosaur," Gladio growled.

There was a long silence. "Dude, okay but now _you_ sound like a dinosaur," Prompto said, laughing to himself.

"A thesaurus," Gladio informed him, "is like the dictionary only instead of definitions, it gives you other words that mean the same thing."

Prompto stared at him blankly. "Why would anyone want to do that?"

Gladio shook his head despairingly. "How did you even get through high school?"

Prompto was't listening anymore. He had moved on, camera out and snapping away. The room didn't seem that important, but Gadio didn't ask what the photos were for. There was a reason Noct had chosen Prompto for this mission, not him.

Several reasons. He pushed down on the urge to check his phone, see what the reception was like. Make sure Noct was safe. Ever since they'd left the pizza place, the reception had plummeted to zero. It wouldn't be any better now. There was no way the signal could get this far from the capital city.

Gladio sighed and started going through the desks, instead, opening up each of the drawers as he went.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Prompto asked. "Thought we were waiting until the end of the tour to get souvenirs." 

"Doubt that will be the only locked door in here," Gladio said, nodding back at the bent metal behind them. 

Prompto laughed, reaching back to pat his bag. "Don't worry. I brought plenty of keys with me."

Gladio snorted, shaking his head and opening another drawer. "Or we could use real keys."

"Yeah, if you find any. That door we busted through doesn't exactly scream low security."

"So prove me wrong," Gladio told him. "Won't take long if we're both looking."

Prompto hesitated for a second before putting his camera away with a sigh and turning to the desk closest to him. "Nothing," he said, opening up a drawer.

"Keep looking."

Prompto opened another desk, rummaging around loudly before Gladio heard a very distinctive jangle. He turned to see Prompto lifting up a keyring in defeat, heavy with keys. "Okay," Prompto said, "but there is _no_ guarantee these are for any of these dam doors." His mouth twitched for a second at the stupid joke he'd just made before he moved on. "Maybe this is just, like, somebody's personal keyring."

"You want to take that chance?"

"No," Prompto said with a sigh. "But when my jingling and jangling alerts an enemy, I'm hiding behind _you_."

Gladio laughed. "You do that anyway."

Prompto grinned at him. "What can I say, it's a nice view," and winked.

Gladio tried to not be flattered by that. "Just give me the keys, chocobutt."

Prompto laughed and tossed the keys over.

They searched through the rest of the desks together, bringing along anything that looked like it might be useful later. Wasn't much, which was probably for the best. Didn't have that much room in their packs. 

And then they were finally ready to move on to those doors waiting for them at the back of the room.

"Shall we find out what's behind door number one?" Prompto asked, gesturing floridly at the first door.

"Go for it." 

Nothing, it turned out. The door led outside, to the back of the building. "Lock it again," Gladio told him.

Prompto gave him a _look_.

"Don't want anybody sneaking in on us."

Prompto shook his head, but he did it anyway. 

"Door number two," as Prompto called it, led to a stairway. At least, Gladio assumed it was a stairway. He could see railings going up and down, gleaming in the dim light of the office building. The rest was pitch black. 

"Uh…," Prompto said.

"You brought your flashlight, didn't you?" 

"Yeah," Prompto muttered. "I just—" he took a breath, let it out. "Ugh. Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

"Should be used to the dark by now," Gladio told him, clipping his own flashlight on. 

Prompto made a face. "Yep. Exactly." Ran a hand through his hair. "I was used to it. And now I'm sick of it." He sighed, squaring his shoulders. "C'mon, let's go," and headed in.

They went up first. The staircase ended with another locked door, this one leading out onto the roof and the tower perched on top.

"Think we should go up?"

Didn't seem like it'd help them at all, but Prompto was already taking the steps two at a time, energy suddenly pouring out of him now that he had the chance to get a good view. 

The tower was actually in pretty good shape, all things considered. Some spots of rust, but it had been constructed well, metal still strong and stable. Gladio had to take a second to stop and take in the view. The familiar fields of Lucis lay behind them, but the valley opened up just past the wall, the river winding dark through the rocky, forested hills. 

The clouds were getting closer, dark and low in the sky. 

He joined Prompto at the railing. "Looks like rain," he said, nodding over at the clouds. The little guy already had his camera out, snapping away.

"Maybe," Prompto said, still focusing on his photos, tongue sticking out in concentration. 

"Might have to take shelter tonight in one of the buildings," Gladio sighed.

Prompto put down his camera just enough to arch a disappointed eyebrow at him. "Sleeping indoors really isn't that bad, you know." He brightened. "We could even go the gift shop. Bet they'll have tons of clothes in there we could make a little nest out of. Get comfy."

"We'll see," Gladio told him dryly. And then, "Getting some strategic shots of the land?"

"All my photos are strategic, dude." He brought the camera back up, carefully focusing it on the distance. 

Gladio snorted. "Especially the selfies, right?"

"Obviously."

" _Especially_ when you've tripped into a bush."

Prompto put the camera down to give him a very specific look. "Dude. Please. It's just to make the rest of you feel better about looking like idiots in front of the camera."

Gladio arched an eyebrow. "That why you take so many photos of my ass?"

Prompto let out a garbled jumble of words. "I don't have to answer that! Those photos speak for themselves."

"A picture _is_ worth a thousand words," Gladio smirked.

He sighed dreamily. "A thousand hot words."

Gladio laughed at him. "Try to keep it in your pants."

"You're the one who brought up your ass!"

"Get all the photos you needed?" he asked instead of responding. 

Prompto hesitated. Gladio could see him struggle with himself over staying just a few more minutes, try and get some more shots of the clouds rolling in, versus actually doing the job they were sent to do. He opened his mouth, leaning forward like the landscape was calling to him, before slumping back into reality. "Yep. Got 'em. Let's go."

They headed back down the stairs and into the darkness of the stairwell. The dim light coming in through the door of the main floor gave some sense of bearing, before that, too, disappeared as they kept going down.

"I can't even see my fingers," Prompto whispered. 

"So put them into the beam of your flashlight."

"Uh, I think I will keep my hand firmly on the railing, thank you v—" Prompto broke off with a sudden squeak. " _Ew_ , I just touched something! Ew, ew, ew ,ew, eww, that's _so_ gross."

Gladio didn't ask. He didn't want to know what Prompto thought he'd touched.

He lasted approximately one minute in the quiet before starting another conversation. "So, uh, any idea how deep this goes?" Prompto asked.

"You're the one who did research," Gladio pointed out.

"Yeah, well, there weren't any blueprints published," Prompto said. "And I actually checked."

Gladio nodded approvingly. "High security place like this? Of course not." He made it to the next landing. "I meant, how tall is the dam?"

"Oh." A few more steps. "Uh, forty stories, give or take?"

"There you go."

"You think we're really going to have to go down forty whole flights?" Prompto groaned. 

"Guess we'll find out."

They moved in relative silence for a few minutes, nothing but the sound of their steps and the bobbing of their flashlights to accompany them, when Prompto suddenly burst out, voice a hoarse whisper, "Did you hear that?!" 

Gladio stopped moving to listen. Prompto, however, did not, crashing into Gladio's back. 

He only barely caught himself. "Watch it," Gladio snapped.

"I can't," Prompto bit back. "I can't see a fucking thing in here. There could be a behemoth waiting for us at the next landing and I'd walk right into its mouth, if it opened up wide enough."

"I think we would hear a behemoth," Gladio said dryly. 

"There could be anything waiting for us down there!"

Gladio rolled his eyes, not that Prompto would be able to see it. "No daemons, anyway." 

"That's something," Prompto agreed. And a second later, "You do know that a behemoth isn't a daemon, though?"

"The hell would a behemoth survive on down here?" Gladio asked. "Biggest thing in here would probably be a rat."

Prompto shivered. "And whatever eats the rats."

They kept going. 

Gladio wasn't sure how much time had passed before Prompto spoke up again. He seemed worse than usual, today, talking just to fill the silence with some kind of noise. "These stairs _are_ going to end, though, right?" he asked. "Like, this is just a dam, not some giant ancient Solheim torture device." 

"It let us in during the day," Gladio pointed out.

"Good point. So a giant Lucian torture device then."

"And listening to you is the torture?"

"Hey!" 

He stayed quiet after that, though. Gladio almost felt bad. _Almost._ They came to a landing before he had the chance to do something about it. The landing had more stairs leading down, of course but—

"Is that a _door?_ " Prompto whispered.

"Give the handle a try, find out."

Gladio could almost feel the glare Prompto aimed at him, couldn't help but grin into the darkness in response. 

Prompto gave a try. "Locked," he said. "Tell me you brought those keys down."

Gladio pulled them out, holding them up in the flashlight's beam as he picked a key at random. "Might not work."

"Yeah, but at least we won't have to go all the way back up those stairs to get them."

"We'll have to go back up at some point," he pointed out, making his way through the keyring. 

"You just _had_ to say it, didn't you," Prompto accused bitterly.

Gladio snorted. The first key didn't work. It took longer than he expected to go through each of them in the near-total darkness, and every time he tried a new one, he had to bend down to light the handle up enough to see the hole. Should've just let Prompto keep them. Guy was short enough he wouldn't have had any problems.

Prompto was practically bouncing on his feet next to him from anxiety. "You know you're supposed to put the key _in_ the hole, right? And then turn it?"

"Do you want to do this?" Gladio demanded.

"I'm just saying!"

And—second to last key did the trick. "Finally," Gladio breathed. Braced himself and opened the door into a solid wall of darkness and an angry, muted rumbling sound, almost too low to hear.

"More dark? Great. Just great," Prompto complained. "Just what I wanted to find."

"Expecting something else?" Gladio asked dryly. It made him think, though. Prompto'd been ready to do this by himself. And if the little guy was this freaked out now, with Gladio here—

"Spiders," Prompto said promptly, horror seeping through his voice as Gladio moved into the room. "Lots of spiders. And their _webs_ ," as though the webs were worse than the actual spiders. "But uh, some natural lighting wouldn't be bad. You know. Just for variation. Or like, remember that base we snuck into with candles lining the walls? All of them conveniently lit? _Freaky_ , yeah, but you know, at least we could see." He sighed, turning to walk along the edge of the wall, pausing near the door. "Heh. Look at that. A light switch. It'd be _really_ great if this actually worked," and flipped the switch.

Light stabbed directly into Gladio's eyes, bright and blinding after the dark. He winced, throwing his arm up to cover his eyes without thinking about it.

"Oookay," Prompto said slowly. "That was unexpected. That was unexpected, right?" 

One of the lights was flickering in the far corner, the bulb on the verge of giving out. And now that Gladio's eyes had adjusted, he could see not all the lights were working, a few burned out and dark. Enough were on to light the room up, at least. 

It was less of a room and more of a vast hallway, ceiling rising high overhead, leading back in the direction they'd first come. It must've spanned the entire length of the bridge. There were a few giant cylinders of concrete pushing up from the floor, long stretches of space between each one, and on the far end of the room, a flag had once proudly hung, now rusted with mildew and age. 

"I mean," Prompto kept going, "I'm not complaining or anything, but what the hell. That light switch was not supposed to work."

"Keep your guard up," Gladio agreed, "but this is a hydroelectric dam. Probably set up to draw electricity from its own power."

"R-right," Prompto shivered. "That's probably it. Nothing weird going on at all. It's totally normal for a dam to run itself." He wrapped his arms around his chest, hugging himself tight. "Running for years and years in the dark. Nothing creepy about that at all."

Gladio laughed. Couldn't help it. The little guy was working himself up again, but at least this time that sharp edge of tension was gone from his voice. "C'mon. Let's go see how well it held up."

"Gimme a sec," Prompto said, digging around to pull out his camera. "Gotta snap a few shots of this first."

"Any idea where we are?" Gladio asked, taking a closer look around the room. They were standing on a metal platform a few feet above the ground floor. He could see some switches on the wall, along with a few meters and dials. They looked important, and Gladio had no clue how to interpret any of them. Right next to the dials were a few bicycles, propped up against the wall like even the staff thought the distance from one end of the room to the other was unacceptable.

"Generator room, probably," Prompto said absently, getting some shots of the meters. "The turbines are supposed to be in those big concrete things, somewhere." He gestured vaguely over at the cylinders, then frowned, lowering his camera. "No idea how to, uh, get in there though, make sure they look okay."

"They're loud," Gladio shrugged. "And the concrete looks fine."

Prompto let out a breath. "Yeah. Guess that'll have to be good enough. Least we can go back and say nothing was seriously fucked up." He brightened. "And we have the photos. Maybe these readings will mean something to somebody."

They made their way down to the ground floor, the metal of the ladder cold against Gladio's hand, little bits of paint sticking into his palm. The thing was solidly connected to the wall, at least. And the bikes Gladio'd seen leaning against the wall were in surprisingly good condition. Too bad the tires were flat.

"Looks like we're walking," he said.

"With our _feet?_ " Prompto protested.

"It'll be good for you," Gladio told him.

"You always say that," Prompto muttered. 

"Because it's true," Gladio said and started for the far end of the corridor. 

It took awhile. Prompto kept stopping to take more photos, getting multiple angles of every one of the concrete housing for each turbine. They settled into a comfortable rhythm eventually, Prompto keeping up a steady stream of conversation the whole time. Right up until they found the second set of stairs, anyway. A closed trapdoor, tucked behind one of the turbines, the steps steep enough that Gladio had to climb down them like a ladder. The low rumble grew louder with each step, until his whole body reverberated with it. 

He moved away from the ladder to give Prompto some room and turned slowly, sweeping the beam of his flashlight across the space. They were standing on a small platform with minimal safety railings. Gladio took a short step closer to the edge, but he couldn't see anything beneath them but blackness. 

"Whoa," Prompto breathed, coming to stand next to him.

He wasn't looking down into the void though. He was looking at a bridge, suspended over a maze of pipes, each one large enough the two of them could have comfortably walked over the top, linked hand in hand.

"Found the turbines," Gladio said. He could barely hear his own voice. 

"No kidding," Prompto agreed, snapping away. "The motherlode. Or, uh, part of it, anyway." He leaned over the edge of the railing and Gladio reached out, grabbing hold of the guy's shirt before he could stop himself. 

"Careful," he growled.

Prompto ignored him completely, too busy documenting the long drop below them. 

Gladio waited for him to finish, doing his best to stay patient. He had spent years waiting. Waiting for Noct to finish his classes in high school, waiting for Noct to decide he'd had enough fishing for the day, waiting for Noct to come back to them from inside the crystal. He could wait for Prompto to finish taking some photos. This room put him on edge, though. It was the maintenance access point for the inner workings of the dam, small and dark and unfinished, with only the one narrow ladder leading in and out.

He could feel a headache developing, the constant noise pushing against the side of his head.

And then, _finally_ , Prompto finished taking all his photos. Gladio made him go up first. Didn't have the patience for _just one more photo_ right now, especially if it meant Prompto fell off the edge while Gladio was stuck on the ladder, too far away to reach him.

The little guy was halfway up the ladder when he froze. Gladio only barely managed not to run right into him. "Did you hear that?" Prompto whispered hoarsely.

"Hear what," Gladio snapped. He took a breath. "There's nothing here but us, Prom."

"No, dude, I heard something," Prompto whispered.

Gladio felt a chill run down his neck. Fuck. "Above us?" he asked, keeping his voice as low as he could and still be heard.

"I—don't know," Prompto admitted.

Gladio glanced down, to find a pair of eyes looking back up at him. He jumped, barely keeping his grip on the ladder. Fuck. _Fuck_. "A rat," he forced out, teeth clenched. "It's fine. Keep going."

Prompto was at the top fast enough Gladio was almost half convinced the little guy'd finally learned to warp himself. He slammed the trapdoor shut almost as soon as Gladio'd hauled himself out. 

The hall looked the same as it had when they'd gone down the stairs. Gladio still kept the armiger close at hand, just in case. They moved through the rest of the corridor without incident, though, and at the end, there was one last room waiting for them. The control room, full of even _more_ levers and dials and buttons, enough monitors to give the security room at the Citadel a run for its money. 

"So that's it?" Gladio said when Prompto finally lowered his camera.

"Yep," Prompto said. "No cave ins, no giant puddles of water."

Gladio stopped outside the control room. "What about that door?" he asked, gesturing over at a door set into the side of the great hall. He'd missed it before, too focused on the control room. Next to the door was another bike, and a card reader mounted against the wall.

Prompto sighed. "And that, I guess. Any of your keys work?"

They didn't. Gladio went through the entire keyring, twice. 

"Oh! Hang on!" Prompto said, digging through his pack. "We found that keycard in one of the desks, remember?" and pulled it out, giving it a swipe.

A second, and there was an audible click of the door unlocking. Prompto looked over at Gladio, grinning, and opened the door.

It was the elevator again.

"Guess that's it, then," Prompto said. "We've come full circle. Must be where that elevator led, right?"

"At least half of where it led," Gladio said, gesturing over at the up and down buttons on the wall. He took a breath, not wanting to say the rest of it. "Still the rest of those stairs."

"Huh?"

"The rest of the stairs," Gladio told him. "Going down," and nodded at the other end of the hall, where they'd come from.

Prompto groaned. "You have _got_ to be kidding, dude. My feet are killing me."

Gladio opened his mouth.

"And do _not_ tell me it's good for me," Prompto said, stabbing a warning finger in his direction. "There is nothing good about my feet falling off."

Gladio snorted. "No point getting the dam running if the base is unsound," he pointed out. "And Noct might want to know if it's about to collapse."

"Ughhh," Prompto groaned. "You know I hate it when you're right."

"Could see if the elevator works," Gladio offered.

"Uh, no," Prompto said firmly. "I don't think so."

Gladio grinned. "Well," he said, nodding at the bike parked right next to the elevator, "this one at least looks like it still has air in the tires. Shouldn't take too long to get to the other side."

"Shotgun!" Prompto said immediately.

Gladio looked at him. 

"Dibs on the handlebars," he grinned. "It's too late to ride them, dude, I claimed the shotgun rights."

Gladio shook his head. "Hopeless," he muttered, but he also let Prompto get situated over the handlebars. "Just tell me if I'm about to run into something. I can't see anything over you."

The ride definitely wasn't a nice one. The tires weren't flat, but they also had leaked some air over the years. It took more effort to pedal than Gladio wanted to admit. It got them across the room faster than walking, at least, and Prompto barely complained as they climbed the ladder back up to the stairwell.

He did hesitate at the entrance though, peering out into the gloom. "Think there's a light switch nearby?" he asked glumly. 

"Top and bottom only," Gladio guessed.

"Guess that's another reason to go down," Prompto sighed. "Alright, let's get this over with."

The bottom of stairs offered them a functional light switch and another locked door, but Gladio found the right key without trouble, this time. He opened the door to roar of rushing water, air thick enough with the spray he could smell it. 

There was a small path that wound around the base of the dam. The path forked, one path leading towards a small stone bridge crossing the river, and the other leading behind the water itself, right past the base of the two enormous statues guarding the dam, the Sword and Shield, Strength and Justice.

The sky was dark with clouds, now, looming threatening behind the dam, the Sword and Shield glowing golden with the late afternoon sun. Gladio stopped just to take in the view.

"Damn," he whispered.

"That's where we are," Prompto grinned and then looked up. "Oh. Yeah." He took a breath, letting out a short whistle. " _Damn_ that's a fine dam," and got his camera ready.

Gladio shoved at him with one shoulder. "Worse than Iggy," he muttered.

Prompto flashed him a quick grin before jogging down the walkway, looking for just the right spot to get the perfect photo. 

"Gladio!" he shouted. "Turn around! C'mon, I need some scale in this!" And a second later, he was setting up his tripod and running over, throwing an arm around Gladio's shoulder and grinning for the camera. 

It didn't take long to explore the walkway. The base was undamaged, the bridge intact. Prompto took a few more shots and they headed back to the stairs. 

Prompto faltered to a stop a few steps in front of the door. "I don't now if I can do this," he admitted in a quavering voice. 

Gladio arched an eyebrow at him. "Sure you don't want to try the elevator?"

"You try it first."

"I'm taking the stairs," Gladio informed him. 

"You could always carry me," Prompto pointed out. "That'd be like. _Extra_ good for you."

"Sure," Gladio said easily, "I can carry you halfway up if you carry me the other half."

"You're carrying me the first half, though, right?"

Gladio ignored him, opening the door. "C'mon, chocobutt," he said. "Let's get it over with."

Prompto sighed. "At least the lights are on."

They'd only made it three flights before Prompto groaned, "What if you just, like. Put me in the armiger. Summoned me at the top."

"Not a chance."

Ten minutes later, even Gladio's legs were starting to ache. He ignored them, focusing on their goal. It was almost nice, to feel the burn in his muscles after the weeks spent behind a desk without a real challenge. 

"What if," Prompto panted, "what if we just set up camp here. We needed to stay out of the rain, right?"

"Keep moving," Gladio told him.

Prompto stopped at the landing with the door to the generator room, leaning over, his hands on his knees. "Just gimme a sec," he panted. "Just gotta—investigate this room again. From here." Breathed. "Look at that solid door."

Gladio snorted. "You know the longer you rest, the harder it'll be to get going again."

Prompto groaned. "Dude, just 'cause you have thighs of steel doesn't mean the rest of us do."

Gladio let him talk. He didn't want to admit it, but he needed the break too.

"Like, mine are maybe made of iron, tops. Gotta stop and oil them every once in awhile."

Gladio arched an eyebrow at him. "We're still talking about your thighs, right?"

Prompto snorted out a breath, too tired to even laugh. Took another few moments to breathe and finally forced himself upright. "Okay," he said grimly. "Let's get this over with," and they started up the stairs again.


	6. Chapter 6

By the time they made it outside, the sun had disappeared, the air heavy with the expectation of rain. 

Gladio whistled for their chocobos. "We need to get to shelter."

"Well," Prompto offered, "we did want to check out the gift shop."

"Fine," Gladio decided. "Let's go." At least it had an overhang to protect them from the worst of the weather if they couldn't get in. 

They didn't even make it to the gift shop before the storm before the storm hit, though. The clouds gave no warning before the rain pelted down, soaking through their clothes and straight down to the bone. "Keep your bird steady," Gladio called.

"Dude," Prompto shouted back, "I know how to ride a chocobo."

Gladio grit his teeth, but let it drop.

The birds crowded under the overhang, huddling as far from the rain as they could get. Gladio tried the handle without really thinking about it, but the door was locked.

"Your keys, dude," Prompto told him. "Use your keys."

Gladio wasn't sure they would work. Hard to imagine the staff between buildings had much to do with each other, but it couldn't hurt to try. He wiped at his face, pushing a few dripping strands of hair out of his face, and tugged at the keys, prying them out of his sopping wet pockets.

Prompto watched as he did it, both eyebrows raised and an appreciative look on his face. 

Gladio did his best to ignore him, going through the keys, one by one. Took long enough that their birds had time to shake themselves free of water, most of which ended up Gladio. He was just about ready to give up when the lock finally turned.

"See?" Prompto grinned. "I've got good ideas."

"You've got ideas alright," Gladio told him, and led the way into the gift shop, Prompt hot on his heels. 

He stopped shortly inside. There was something off about the place. Took a moment to figure out. The place looked like it'd been raided, the clothing racks practically bare, the shelves around the counter barren of the standard overpriced snacks, except everything else looked untouched, like the store was still planning to open the next day.

"Think the lights work?" Prompto asked behind him.

Gladio opened his mouth to tell him to hold off, wait until they'd had a chance to explore more, figure out what was going on. Before he had the chance, the lights flickered on, filling the room with fluorescent light.

"Don't think they have your sweater," Gladio told him dryly.

"Wh-what?" Prompto moved into the room from behind him, and stopped, staring around. The poor guy looked utterly lost. He wandered aimlessly through the empty racks, peering around like if he checked hard enough, the hoodie might suddenly appear, along with all the other clothes. "I don't—where'd it all go?"

Gladio shook his head. "Someone was here," he said grimly. "The snacks and drinks are gone, too."

Prompto turned to him, eyes stricken. "What?"

Gladio almost felt bad for the little dude. "Look around," he said, gesturing at the rest of the store. "Whoever it was barely touched the rest of it, though." 

"What the hell?! They left everything but my hoodie!"

Gladio snorted. "Congratulations. You both have bad taste."

Prompto sighed, shoulders slumping. "Man." And immediately shivered. "Was kinda looking forward to something dry to change into, actually."

Gladio frowned. "Gotta be a stockroom somewhere," he said. "Maybe there's extras."

Prompto brightened a little, looking around the room. "There is a back door," he said. "Let's see if your keys work on it, too."

Turned out they didn't even need keys. The door was already unlocked.

"Is it supposed to be this empty?" Prompto asked.

"Still some boxes left," Gladio said. "C'mon," and opened one up, going through the contents. Useless tourist crap, all of it.

"Oh, good, a box full of DVDs showing how the dam was built," Prompto muttered, looking through his own box. "These are gonna be great birthday presents."

"You want the hoodie or not?" Gladio asked pointedly. 

"I want the hoodie," Prompto told him. "I _don't_ want the rollercoaster ride of anticipation and inevitable disappointment that comes with every new box I open."

Gladio shook his head, opened his mouth and—huh. Held up a sweater, large enough it would be too big even for him. "What about this one?" It wasn't quite what Prompto had described, but it was close. Instead of a chocobo, there was a small behemoth head printed on the front, underlined by a scroll of words that read, "DAM BEHEMOTH."

Prompto blinked at him. Blinked at the sweater. Opened his mouth, closed it again. Finally said, "What's the other side look like?"

Gladio turned it around for him. Prompto let out a low whistle. The back had a larger design, a stylized Behemoth with the words "BEHEMOTH ACTUALLY GIVES A DAM."

"Okay," Prompto said, "okay that is _not_ a chocobo but—holy shit." He was grinning widely. "That is _awesome_ and I need it."

Gladio wasn't entirely able to keep the grin off his own face. "All yours, chocobutt," he said, and tossed it over.

Prompto grabbed the thing, pulling off his wet t-shirt and wriggling his way into the new hoodie. It was way too big, fabric almost falling off one shoulder. The little guy was drowning.

It wasn't a bad look.

"Okay, it's a little large," Prompto admitted. 

Gladio shrugs. "Suits you, though."

Prompto flashed him a grin, bright and genuine. Winked. "What can I say, I like 'em big."

Gladio almost choked.

"Maybe there's something in here for you," Prompto added, already rummaging around through another one of boxes before Gladio had a chance to tell him he not to bother. He didn't need a dam _anything_ shirt, but if it made Prompto happy, no reason to stop him.

Gladio got up, stretching. And—"The hell?" he muttered. "There's another door back here." The thing'd been hidden behind a pile of boxes stacked a couple of feet in front of the door. Gladio nudged them out of the way and tried the handle. The door opened without a problem, onto what looked like a back entrance for the staff and a set of stairs, going down.

More stairs. Great.

The back door was locked, so Gladio took the stairs down. It was a short flight, thankfully, ending at a small platform. He found himself standing in a tunnel, walls made of bare concrete and dimly lit by a few sparsely placed fluorescent light bulbs.

The hell _was_ this? "Prompto," he called. "C'mere. You want to see this."

A beat, and then Prompto groaned, his voice distant. "Seriously?"

Gladio waited. Knew the little guy'd talk himself into it if he just left him alone long enough. 

"I don't think my legs can handle it," Prompto moaned from the storeroom. "Pretty sure they just spontaneously combusted into jello."

"Relax," Gladio called up the stairs. "It's just one flight."

"Of _stairs?!_ You didn't say there were more stairs!"

"I just did," Gladio informed him. "Get down here already."

"I'm coming," Prompto whined. "Slowly. Very slowly." He groaned again, his shoes appearing at the top of the stairs. "This had better be worth it," he warned and began his descent, tottering down one step at a time, moving slower than Cid. He was still wearing his new hoodie. 

"Whoa," he breathed when he reached the bottom, and let out a low whistle. "Is—is that—an _underground highway?_ "

"Think you're giving it a little too much credit, there."

"Okay, an underground road," Prompto said. "But, dude, focus. This thing is _underground?_ "

"You're telling _me_ to focus?" Gladio asked, but didn't give him time to answer. "If it was above ground, we would've seen it on our way in."

Prompto thought about that, frowning. "Huh," he said slowly. "It's gotta surface _somewhere_ , though."

"So let's find out."

Prompto looked at him. "Um? But like… right _now_? You don't want to… y'know, go back upstairs and just chill out, instead?"

"We're here, aren't we?"

"Yeah, and we can be here tomorrow," Prompto told him. "C'mon, dude, my legs are seriously killing me. You saw me go down those stairs. There's no way I'm going to be able to get very far."

Gladio opened his mouth.

"And don't even pretend to offer to carry me," Prompto told him. "I fell for that once today. It's not gonna work again."

"Didn't think you'd actually believe it the first time, either."

"My legs were ready to fall off!" Prompto protested. "I was ready to believe anything."

Gladio shook his head fondly. "Dumbass." And then, "You can stay here, if you want, but I'm gonna find out where it leads."

"Dude, seriously? I can't believe you're doing this to me."

"Doing what?"

"Come back upstairs," Prompto said instead of answering the question. "C'mon, what could be better than sitting around a deserted gift shop while it rains outside? Surrounded by useless crap nobody wants?"

"We need to head back tomorrow," Gladio shrugged. "And this could be important."

"Head back?" Prompto repeated incredulously. "You have some pressing engagement I don't know about?"

Gladio crossed his arms. "I have a job."

Prompto opened his mouth, closed it again, face expressionless for a long moment. He finally took a short breath and said, "This is part of your job, remember? Noct ordered you out here."

It still chafed. "Exactly. He ordered me here to explore. Not sit on my ass and leave him unprotected."

Prompto stood there, breathing, his hands curled into fists. 

"You know I can't be gone long," Gladio told him.

Prompto wasn't looking at him anymore, just glaring at the ground next to Gladio's feet. He turned on his heels without a word and stormed back up the stairs, hissing under his breath with each step.

Gladio frowned after him. "Prom—"

"You want to explore, fine," Prompto snapped. "I'm staying here, though."

"Thought you _wanted_ this!" Gladio shouted after him, starting up the stairs after him.

Prompto turned to glare down the stairway. "Yeah!" he said, the words sharp and brittle. "Yeah! I did! I wanted to spend time with you, not fucking walking down some dumb tunnel with you! Not—fucking listening to you talk about your _fucking work_ again!" 

He stomped unevenly into the stockroom and slammed the door behind him.

Gladio stared at the spot Prompto had just been. The—hell?! "Prompto!" he shouted, taking the stairs two at a time, suddenly furious. The door had _better_ not have locked behind him. " _Prompto!_ " and burst through.

Prompto was staring at him, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. "Don't even bother, if the next word out of your mouth is about Noct. I don't want to hear it."

"The hell is wrong with Noct?" Gladio demanded. "You talk about him all the time."

"Yeah, as a _friend_ , Gladio! Not as—fucking competition!"

"The hell does that even mean," Gladio asked flatly.

"You don't— …of course you don't," Prompto muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. Bit at his lip for a few seconds before looking up at Gladio. "You seriously want to know?"

"I asked, didn't I?" Why else did Prompto think he would he ask?

Prompto took a breath, let it out. "You spend—all day with him, dude. All. Fucking. Day. Like—you leave early, come home late. And when you _do_ get home? All you talk about is your duty. What Noct needs, what new danger he's in now."

Gladio narrowed his eyes. "His safety is my responsibility."

"I know!" Prompto shouted. "I _know._ I'm just—sick of hearing about it." He took another breath, visibly collecting himself. "I know, okay? I get it out. You gotta keep Noct alive. I—" he let out a shaky laugh. "Not like I want him to die, either, y'know? I'm not trying to get in the way of your job. I promise. I'm just sick of waiting for you to come home, only to hear you talk about going back to work. It fucking sucks."

Gladio stared at him.

Prompto let out a breath. "Whatever." Wiped at his face. "I knew it'd be time consuming. I just… didn't think it'd take your whole life, yanno?"

Gladio had no idea what to say to that.

"It's just so not fair," Prompto continued. "To you. Or to Noct. Or to—" he broke off, swallowing whatever he had been about to say. Shook his head and started over. "I mean—I knew things would change when the sun came back. And. Heh. Not like we were always living together all the time back in the good old days, right?" He let out a bitter laugh.

Gladio opened his mouth. Closed it again. Opened it, but before he could say anything, Prompto added, "It's my fault. Like—I don't blame you. I just—even when you're home, you're not home, y'know? You're always still at work, thinking about Noct, worried some shit might happen to him." He let out a frustrated breath. "But the thing is, even if you _are_ there with him, shit might still go down, y'know? You can't prevent stupid accidents."

"Stupid accidents?" Gladio growled, finding his voice again.

"And if Noct can stop goddamn _Ardyn_ ," Prompto kept going, too wrapped up in his thoughts to answer the question, "what can you really do to help? Not to be rude or anything, but uh. Noct can be really scary when he's mad at you."

"Noct is always mad at me," Gladio told him, unimpressed.

"Nah, dude," Prompto said, his tone almost casual again. "He's just, like, cranky. You know what I mean."

"No," Gladio disagreed, "I don't."

"Oh my _god_ ," Prompto snapped, "can you just TRY? To use your goddamn brain for once?! I know you're smart! Just—" his hands were clenched again, "—c'mon man. _Please_. Noct can take care of himself."

Gladio took a few deep breaths, trying to force his temper under control. His jaw was still tight, though, when he began, "It doesn't matter—" 

"You trained him, right?" Prompto said, cutting straight through Gladio's line of thought. "I know you're worried, dude," he added. "But—he's got this. He knows what he's doing. Thanks to you and Iggy. I mean, how much danger do you really think he's in?"

"More danger than you think," Gladio told him. "Than _he_ thinks. No one is taking the threat seriously, and that's the real danger." Prompto opened his mouth but Gladio didn't let him start. "Noct burned away the scourge. He didn't burn away the darkness in humans."

"Dude," Prompto said, his tone soft and almost pitying.

"You think everyone loves Noct?" Gladio demanded.

"No. I mean, their loss, but—" he shrugged.

"The scavengers are still out there, Prompto. Just because that base was empty doesn't mean they just disappeared."

"Yeah, I know," Prompto said. "There are still bad guys. But—Ardyn was pretty much the baddest guy we could ever meet and Noct took care of him."

"Noct was ready for that fight," he said, catching Prompto's gaze and holding it. He had to make him understand. "He won't be ready for the next one, because he won't even see it coming." Prompto blinked. "A surprise attack would take him down just as fast as anyone else."

Prompto took that in, mulling it over. "And you really think you could stop that?" he asked skpetically.

"Yes," Gladio said without hesitation. "All I need is to give him two seconds of warning."

Prompto's eyes widened, his mouth opening as that sank in. "—shit," he whispered.

"I can't do that if I'm not next to him," Gladio said. Swallowed, looking down at his hands. "And I'm not going to fail. Not again."

"Dude, you never failed," Prompto told him, tone almost pleading. "Noct's here. He's alive."

Gladio shook his head. It was luck. Just luck. "I wasn't ready for Ravus," he said. "Wasn't there in Altissia." Clenched his jaw. "Wasn't even there in Zegnautus Keep." The image of Ignis on the floor, skin already turning to ash was seared into his memory. 

Noct, warping to be by his side.

Noct, leaving them. Swallowed by the crystal, ten years gone, just like that.

"It was Ardyn," Prompto said desperately. "He did all that."

"I shouldn't have let him," Gladio growled. "Should've figured out how to save him. Should've at least tried harder."

"We did figure it out," Prompto told him, voice catching in his throat.

"Iggy did," Gladio corrected. "And we all watched him die on that throne before he came back."

"But he did come back."

"And I was still alive," Gladio pointed out, the words thick in his throat. "At least my father was able to die with honor."

Prompto was staring at him, eyes wide and horrified. "D-dude, no. Don't—"

"I _can't_ fail him again," Gladio forced out. "Not now. Not when he's needed the most."

Prompto took a shaky breath, let it out. "I—fuck. I can't argue with that. But—Iggy's with him, right now." He let out a short laugh. "Iggy's always with him. And you trust him with guards at night. And Iris—"

Gladio held up a hand, silencing him. He'd heard something. "You hear that?"

Prompto straightened. "Hear what?"

"Shh," Gladio told him. And—there it was again. The low crunch of footsteps followed by the sound of someone tripping and loud swearing.

Prompto swallowed hard. "What—" he whispered.

Shit. Gladio glanced over at the door to the stairwell. Lifted a finger to his mouth and rose, slowly and carefully moving over to the door. 

"—there's nothing there! Dumbass. Have you tried walking with your eyes _open_ for a change?" A voice, low and rough from over-exposure to the scourge.

"Tch," another voice replied, "Could be something. Sodalis said someone's been poking around the old base in Insomnia."

The first voice barked out a laugh. "You call that a base? Seriously? It's an abandoned tax center."

The second laughed. "Don't have to tell me twice. I said this place was an improvement since we moved here."

"Since before we moved," the other laughed. "Relax. No one's here but us. Far enough away from the city that even the King's fucking Guard ain't gonna find us."

Gladio stiffened, and Prompto put a hand on his arm. Shook his head.

"—know the dam is ours. No ruler, no rules."

"Until they find us," the other man muttered. Their voices were getting faint, footsteps starting to fade. 

Dammit. Gladio needed to hear more. He put a handle on the doorknob and Prompto almost yanked his arm out of its socket, he pulled it away so hard. 

"Dude, what are you doing?!" It came out as one hissed word. 

"I need to know what they're saying," Gladio gritted out. 

"They'll hear you," Prompto whispered urgently. "And then they'll attack us. We don't know how many there are."

Gladio breathed.

"We can come back later," Prompto promised. "With a whole unit, if we have to."

He hesitated. It wasn't too late.

"You won't be any good to Noct if you're dead," Prompto told him. "And if you die, no one is gonna tell Noct about the dam. He'd charge in blind looking for us. You know he would."

Prompto was right. _Damn_ it. Gladio dropped his hand, pressing an ear against the door to see if he could hear anymore, but they were already gone.

"We need to get back to the Citadel," Gladio said grimly.

"Definitely," Prompto agreed. He shivered. "I don't want to be here when they find out they're not alone."

"—Our birds," Gladio realized. If the scavengers found them, they would know immediately who was here. The barding was proudly decorated with the royal insignia. _Shit._ "Let's go. _Now._ "

Prompto nodded rapidly, running to the main gift shop to shove his wet gear into his backpack. Gladio picked up his own pack, and they headed back out into the rain.

It was going to be a long trip back to the Citadel.


	7. Chapter 7

Prompto was _exhausted_ by the time they dragged themselves through the gates to the Citadel. They'd ridden through the night and most of the day, stopping only to take care of their birds. 

It seemed a little excessive to Prompto—he didn't think the dudes were likely to launch a full scale attack against the Citadel, but he also knew Gladio. There was no point even trying to bring it up with the big guy. 

One of the stablehands met them somewhere between the gates to the grounds and the door of the Citadel. Prompto'd never been more relieved to see someone in his life. "Make sure you give them some Sylkis Greens!" Prompto called after them. "They deserve it! And check Acorn's left wing, I think it was rubbing against the saddle."

Gladio rolled his eyes next to him. 

"And give the other bird a full body massage!" Prompto yelled. 

Gladio glared at him. "Don't you think we have more important things to worry about?" he growled, marching towards the staff entrance.

"Your bird deserves a hell of a lot more than just a full body massage," Prompto told him, "after carrying you all those miles."

Gladio kept walking.

The guard at the door took one startled look at them and almost threw herself into a salute. Prompto couldn't decide if it was the angry look on Gladio's face or the wild mess of his hair. "Sir!" she said crisply and opened the door for them.

"I want to talk to Iris as soon as possible," Gladio told her. "Stay alert. There may be trouble coming."

Her eyes widened. "Yes sir." She hesitated. "Can I ask what kind of trouble?"

"Scavengers," Gladio said and disappeared inside.

Prompto shrugged at her and followed him in.

\- - -

Noct and Ignis were deep in a conversation behind Noct's desk when Gladio barged in on them, Prompto trailing in a few feet behind.

They broke off mid-sentence, looking simultaneously over at him as he strode in. Ignis straightened, stepping away from Noct's desk with a concerned look on his face. "Gladio. Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, there's a problem," Gladio growled. "You've got scavengers infesting the dam."

One of Ignis's eyebrows rose. Noct sighed behind him, slumping a little more in his chair. After a beat, Noct prompted, "And?"

"And you need to clear them out," Gladio told him. 

Noct looked at him for a long moment, unimpressed. Ignis was definitely wearing off on him. Prompto wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "Try again," Noct suggested flatly.

"What?" Gladio asked incredulously. He sounded like he was ready to start a fight. 

"What did they do?"

"They're Sons of Ifrit," Gladio told him.

Prompto cleared his throat, shifting his weight. He didn't really want to interrupt, but—

"Prompto?" Ignis asked, interrupting for him.

Shit. Now Gladio was glaring at him. 

"Uh, I just—we don't know for sure they were Sons of Ifrit," Prompto said, giving Gladio a 'sorry dude' grimace.

"They knew about the base," Gladio pointed out.

"What base?" Ignis asked sharply. He shook his head before Gladio could say anything. "Perhaps it would be best if you started at the beginning."

"We don't have time for this," Gladio muttered.

"We're going to take time," Noct told him sharply. He slumped a little more in his chair, a hand at his head. "And we're going to take time to make some coffee." His voice took on a little bit of a helpless whine. "Ignis?"

Ignis's face softened as he turned to look at Noct. "Certainly," he said, that soft warmth still there even though it'd been months since Noct'd come back. "Though as you'll recall, Cindy's coffee trees have not yet reached maturity, so—"

"Yep," Noct sighed. "Tea. I remember."

"I'll be right back," Ignis told them, and left, busying himself in the other room.

Gladio crossed his arms, standing stiffly as they waited. The silence was brutal. Prompto shifted on his feet, groping for some kind of safe topic he could bring up, but all that came to mind was the dam. 

After a few seconds though, Noct blinked a little, his gaze settling on Prompto's chest, and broke into a sudden wide grin. "Nice hoodie," he said casually.

Prompto looked down at himself. And—oh yeah. He grinned. "This old thing?" he asked, trying to play it cool and failing utterly.

Noct laughed. "It's definitely old," he agreed. "You were desperate for one when we visited the dam in high school."

"Dude, please," Prompto told him. "I upgraded. High school me was all over the chocobos, but—" Noct snorted, "—this bad boy was calling out to me."

Gladio shook his head, a teeny tiny grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Calling out, huh."

"Well—it was calling out to Gladio, maybe, from inside the box, but." Prompto shrugged. "I'm the one who got it."

Noct laughed. "So you dragged him to the gift shop to search for it, huh?"

"Got it in one," Gladio said. He opened his mouth, but before he could add anything else, Ignis showed up again, bearing four cups of tea, setting the tray on Noct's desk. 

"Did I miss anything?" he asked.

Noct shook his head. "Prompto's got a new hoodie."

Ignis glanced briefly at it. "Very nice," he said in the kind of polite but totally bored tone that meant, _I've seen garbage piles with a more coherent aesthetic_. 

"Can we get on with this?" Gladio asked, this close to whining.

Prompto _really_ hadn't been looking forward to this debriefing, but for some reason, it didn't seem so bad right now. He didn't even wait for Noct's go ahead before launching into it, starting with the scavenger base they'd found in the old tax shop. Gladio only interrupted a few times, to correct some minor detail or to point out something Prompto'd missed. For the most part, though, he stood with his arms crossed and an impatient glare on his face, like he was trying to model for one of those Kings of Yore statues lining the halls.

"So, uh, by the time we got to the top of approximately eight hundred flights of stairs, the rain'd started," Prompto said. "And we _still_ hadn't visited the gift shop, so, you know—"

"The hoodie," Noct murmured.

"And a tactically sound campground for the night," Prompto argued. "There were reasons. Multiple reasons." He paused. "But mostly I just wanted to see if they still had the hoodie, yeah. So we were looking through the store room—"

"The gift shop had already been raided," Gladio interrupted. "Anything useful had already been taken from the main room."

Noct frowned. "I thought you said the door was locked when you first arrived."

"It was. Only opened with a key," Gladio told him, like he was building an irrefutable case against the scavengers. "The place was sealed shut. Windows boarded up. They must've had a way in."

"Is it not possible the workers might have taken supplies as needed?" Ignis pointed out. Prompto blinked. He hadn't even _thought_ of that.

"The storeroom had a backdoor," Gladio said before Prompto could say anything. "Led down to an underground tunnel."

Noct sat up in his chair, leaning forward with a frown that made him look eerily like King Regis for a second. The dude really needed to shave. "What?"

"Some kind of underground roadway," Gladio continued. "Probably to transport staff from the housing building to the dam itself." Ignis made a small, interested little hum noise at that, like he was satisfied by the way it was all coming together. Or maybe he had some plan building in the back of his mind. The'd find out soon enough. "Tunnel was already lit," Gladio added.

Prompto felt a chill. "You didn't tell me that."

Gladio shrugged. "Thought maybe it was on a timer. Turned on automatically at night. Or part of the wiring for the gift shop."

Huh. "I guess that makes sense," Prompto said. 

"But it wasn't on a timer?" Noct prompted.

"Thirty minutes later, we heard voices coming from the tunnel," Gladio continued grimly.

Ignis frowned. "Where were you when you heard the voices?"

"Back in the gift store," Prompto told him.

Gladio jerked a thumb towards him. "Prompto was too sore to move," he said, a light sprinkling of disgust in his tone. 

"Uh, and it was a good thing," Prompto told him, "or we would've run right into them!"

"Right into _whom_?" Ignis asked sharply.

"The scavengers," Gladio said.

"There were two of them," Prompto added. "Or—at least we heard two voices. I guess there could've been more."

Gladio shook his head. "Only heard the two pairs of footsteps."

Of course he'd listened for it. Prompto didn't know why he was surprised. He'd watched Gladio do it enough times during the ten years of darkness. "Yeah. So, uh, two guys were in the tunnel."

"And they saw you?" Noct asked, tension in his voice.

"Nope," Prompto said.

"We overheard their conversation," Gladio said, stepping forward. "They noticed someone had been in that base in Insomnia." He looked at Ignis. "They're actively checking it, Iggy."

Ignis frowned.

Gladio looked back at Noct. "And they don't like you," he said bluntly. "They don't want the crown at the dam. They're going to give us trouble, one way or another."

"And, uh," Prompto spoke up, "they're almost definitely going to notice that someone was at the dam, poking around." He ran a hand through his hair, laughing nervously, seeing the twisted metal of the door vividly in his mind. "Like. _Definitely_."

Gladio shot him a glance, quick and grateful. It made Prompto feel weird. He hadn't meant to support Gladio, not really, but—it still gave him the creeps, thinking about how close they'd been to discovery. By people who'd probably been in the _Sons of Ifrit,_ no less. 

He'd kinda thought maybe he wouldn't have to kill anyone else ever again. 

Noct was frowning. "What did they say?" he asked. " _Exactly._ "

"Noct—"

"I need to know, Gladio. I can't just start picking fights with anyone who doesn't like me. You know that."

Gladio set his jaw. It took him a few seconds to get the words out. "They said the Guard would never find them at the dam." Noct opened his mouth and Gladio held up a hand. "I'm not done. They said the dam was theirs. No ruler, no rules."

Noct let out a laugh. "Sounds great. Maybe they'll let me join."

"And they said, 'Until they find us.'" He shook his head. "Couldn't catch the rest of it."

Noct took that in, a sleepy look in his eye, but when he finally spoke, he didn't sound tired. "I want to meet them."

" _What?_ " Gladio exploded.

"I want to meet them," Noct repeated firmly. "It doesn't sound like they're preparing for an invasion. It just sounds like they don't want to pay taxes." He shrugged. "Maybe I can talk to them."

Prompto shifted, feeling really uneasy about this. 

"And what happens when that doesn't work?" Gladio demanded.

Noct shrugged again. "Guess we'll find out."

Gladio took in a breath, loud and aggressive enough Prompto could actually hear him dealing with his anger. "I'll get the Guard ready," he said shortly.

"I'm not going with an army at my back," Noct told him. "We should be enough."

"I am _not allowing_ you to go unprotected," Gladio gritted.

"I have protection," Noct said simply. "You'll be there." He nodded at Ignis. "And Ignis and Prompto."

"Whatever your Majesty wants," Gladio said, biting the words off. "I'll get the _mounts_ ready, then."

"No," Noct disagreed. "You're going to shower and get some rest. Hopefully in that order."

Gladio stared at him.

"No way I'm letting you represent the Crown looking like that," Noct told him. "You're about to fall over. And your hair is a mess."

Gladio sputtered.

"C'mon, big guy," Prompto told him, taking him by the arm and tugging him towards the door. "You could definitely use a shower and—I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I am so ready to stop smelling like a chocobo."

Gladio snorted, darkly amused, and let Prompto pull him away.

\- - -

They left for the dam early the next day, Gladio leading the way this time. Prompto was happy to let him take charge. It was kinda—cute, almost, to see how seriously he took the job. Not that—not that Prompto would ever tell him that, of course. No way that would go over well. But he was happy to stay back and watch Gladio work, making sure to stay just in front of their group, scouting ahead and keeping an eye out for trouble.

They took the same route they'd gone before. At the intersection that led to that tax-shop-turned-scavenger-based, they pulled to a stop so Gladio and Ignis could have a brief strategic huddle over whether or not they should investigate it for new activity. ("Not yet," they finally decided.) Prompto used the opportunity to do an impromptu photoshoot with Noct, the humble king out surveying his city. And making stupid poses. It was nice to see that some things never changed. 

Before they set out again, Prompto pulled Gladio aside for their own strategic huddle. "It's almost lunch time," Prompto said.

"Yeah?"

"And that pizza place is close by," he prompted.

"And?"

"So we should have lunch there again."

"We'll see," Gladio said, in that kind of tone that meant _not a chance_. But as they got close, Prompto complained loudly enough about his empty stomach that Noct insisted they stop for a break. Gladio shot him a look as they dismounted, but he didn't say anything, either.

It was almost weird, how good it felt, to have all four of them gathered around a table again, cheap red and white tablecloth spread out in front of them. Just like old times, complete with Iggy immediately abandoning them to go start prepping lunch. Today, he made some kind of fancy sandwich with multiple layers for them, the crusts cut off and everything. And— _oh em gee_ , he'd actually tucked a few slices of fresh cucumbers inside. 

"We need to do this more often," Prompto said, taking a big bite of his sandwich. It was the only kind of bite he _could_ take, with all these layers.

"Indeed," Ignis said, his tone weirdly gentle as he watched Noct pick the cucumbers out of his sandwich.

"You seriously not gonna eat those?" Gladio demanded.

"Yeah," Prompto added, "because if not, I will _happily_ help you out with those bad boys."

Noct blinked at him. "They're cucumbers, Prompto," he said.

"Um, yeah? Exactly? They're _green_ ," Prompto said. 

Noct made a face, just like old times. Like he hadn't lived through ten years without the sun.

"Now, now," Ignis said, "you ate an entire leaf of spinach two days ago."

"Ignis!" Noct protested. 

Gladio snorted, shook his head. "Magic of the crystal ain't gonna protect you from scurvy."

Prompto laughed. "The only guy to get scurvy, now that the sun is back. You can be famous, Noct."

"He's already famous," Gladio pointed out.

"Well—like, famous in a bad way," Prompto said.

"Infamous," Ignis suggested at the same time Noct muttered, "Yeah, famous like _that_ , too."

"Dude, c'mon, people love you," Prompto told him.

"Tell that to the financial directors."

"Ah," Ignis said, "is _that_ why you wanted to leave so early this morning?"

Noct ignored the pointed look Ignis was aiming at him, adding his slices of cucumber to Ignis's plate with deliberate determination.

They took a bit of extra time to enjoy lunch, but Gladio didn't allow them the chance to sit back for long afterwards. Ignis packed up the food and dishes, while Gladio went over the plan again. 

"We want to get to the dam before the sun sets," he reminded them. "Don't want to give them any extra opportunities to prepare." 

"What about giving _me_ time to prepare?" Noct asked.

"It's a long ride across the bridge," Gladio told him. He looked around. "All set, Iggy?"

"Whenever Noct is," he replied.

"Let's get this over with," Noct sighed.

\- - -

They hit the lake leading to the dam sometime mid-afternoon. 

"So what's your plan?" Gladio asked, as they followed the edge of the water.

"Plan?" Noct asked blankly.

Gladio slowed his chocobo down just to give Noct an unimpressed look. It had no effect. "Once we get to the dam," Gladio added, voice just as unimpressed as his look had been. "Not like they're gonna be sitting around a conference table waiting for you."

Noct shrugged. "Play it by ear?"

Prompto's eyes gravitated towards Gladio, waiting for the inevitable explosion. It didn't come, though. The guy just rolled his eyes, shook his head in mute resignation, and moved on.

Yep. Some things never changed.

The landscape was starting to look familiar, now, he'd ridden through it so many times in the past week. Like—there was the curve of the lake with the beautiful old tree starting to come back to life after lying dormant for years. And there was the old boat that was falling apart, a bird's nest tucked underneath one of the seats. And there were the abandoned fields, full of weeds and grass and a few crop plants poking their leafy heads up here and there.

But—now that Prompto knew there were actually people living out here, maybe some of those abandoned crops weren't as abandoned as he'd thought. Like—they definitely weren't being cared for _well_ , but—they were there. They weren't _totally_ overrun by weeds. There were even a few short, shitty rows here and there, the earth half loose, like someone had tried to till the land before giving up halfway through.

"Wonder how long those guys've been out here?" Prompto mused.

"Does it matter?" Gladio grunted.

Prompto glanced over. Noct didn't say anything, but he was frowning, eyebrows knit. Thinking about it. He felt a random burst of pride in the dude. His friend was a good guy, one of the best Prompto knew, really. Trying to do right. By _everyone_.

They rode for another hour, stopping briefly to let their chocobos drink some water. Couldn't have been too much later when the bridge finally came into view, rising elegantly over the water towards the dam as usual.

Only, uh. Prompto frowned at it, squinting. 

"Uh, guys?" he said. "Gladio? Are those—?"

"I see them," Gladio said grimly.

He could only just make them out, a handful of small, dark figures doing _something_ on the bridge, standing between them and the dam.

"Yep," Noct confirmed, straightening in his saddle. He looked almost imperious. Prompto was impressed. "How many are there?"

Gladio lifted a hand, shading his eyes. "Can't be more than ten," and Iggy nodded his agreement.

Prompto shivered. That was—a lot more than two dudes bitching in a tunnel. It wasn't really that he was worried—he'd taken on more than that before, during the darkness, but—this felt different. It'd been months since he'd had to shoot anybody. 

Years since he'd shot anybody under an open sky, the sun warm on his skin.

They'd crossed most of the distance before the group spotted them. They stopped whatever they were doing to watch them approach. Prompto's back felt exposed. All of him felt exposed. They could be riding straight into a trap, and they were _definitely_ riding straight into danger. But—this was what Noct wanted, and Prompto trusted him. They would make this work. Noct would find a way.

They had to ride out onto the bridge before they were close enough to make out any of the details. And—"Holy shit," Prompto breathed.

"Dude," Noct said, turning to laugh back at him, "that guy is wearing one your chocobo hoodies."

"That is _so_ unfair," Prompto muttered. "You think you can put that into the negotiations? See if he's willing to trade?"

Noct laughed. "I'll see what I can do." He led them a little closer before lifting a hand in greeting, staying a respectful distance on the other side of the bridge. "Hey," he called, raising his voice to make sure they could hear him.

They didn't respond, their faces dark. Prompto had no idea how they could be so _serious_ when they were clearly fans of the chocohoodie.

"You guys live around here?" Noct tried, keeping his tone casual.

"What do you want?" one of them asked roughly, crossing his arms. Prompto couldn't be sure, but his voice sounded similar. Like maybe he was one of the ones in the tunnel.

Noct shrugged. "Just wanted to talk." He paused. "I'm Noct."

Their faces darkened more.

Noct let out a laugh. "Looks like you've heard of me."

"Yeah, we've heard of you." He didn't say it like that was a good thing.

"We're rebuilding Insomnia," Noct kept going. "For everyone," he added. And even if he didn't say it out loud, Prompto heard it in his voice anyway: _even you_. "You're welcome to join us."

"And if we don't want to?"

Noct shrugged. "I honestly don't care." The men didn't look like they believed that for a second. "But we need energy from this dam."

"And if we don't want to give it to you?"

Noct took a breath, let it out. "Everything has a price," he said. "I'm willing to negotiate. There's been enough blood shed."

The man sneered. "What do _you_ know about blood shed? You weren't here. You showed up, ass lily-white, just in time to play saviour and take the throne."

"Everyone's struggling," Noct said evenly. "And everyone has the right to a better life. I hope you'll work with me to accomplish that."

"What we _want_ is to be left alone," he spat. "We have a good place. And we don't want to give it up."

Noct took a breath. "So you won't deal?"

"We won't deal."

Prompto inhaled suddenly. "Gladio," he said, trying to keep his voice quiet, but the words hissed out like steam. "They have C4."

"What?" Gladio asked sharply. "You're sure?"

"One hundred percent," Prompto told him. "At the bottom of the bridge." The guy in the chocobo hoodie was holding Prompto's kit, the one he'd brought with him to the dam, bag heavy with unused plastic explosives. "That's—" _shit_ , "—that's my C4." Fuck fuck fuck. "I must've left it behind." Panic was rising in his throat. "They must've found it in the gift shop. We were in such a rush to get out that—"

"Noct," Gladio warned. "They have explosives." Noct's head turned, listening, but he kept his gaze on the scavengers. "They're going to blow up the bridge."

Noct looked back at the men. "Why?" he asked, addressing the scavengers, arms crossed. 

"I told you. We want to be left. Alone." The man bit the words out. "Is it ready?" he called.

"Didn't plant it all yet," the chocohoodie guy yelled back. Prompto felt a sudden, irrational hatred towards the man. He had Prompto's hoodie _and_ his explosives, and now he was going to blow them all up.

"Blow it up anyway," the first said.

_Shit._

"Get back!" Gladio shouted, grabbing the reins to Noct's chocobo and yanking him back. 

He was too late. The plastic exploded, loud and bright, and a chunk of the bridge crumbled, falling to the lake below. Prompto could feel the aftershocks of the explosion, even on his chocobo. He was too busy trying to control his bird to pay much attention, but when he looked up, Noct hovered over the broken section of the bridge for less than a split second before he warped again, landing directly in front of one of the men and taking him down with a single blow.

"Let's go!" the leader yelled and the scavengers broke, abandoning their friend to his fate. Noct frowned, looking between the fallen man, still breathing, and the scavengers, running away. And reached for his sword, before throwing it after the men.

"NOCT," Gladio shouted. Noct hesitated, turning back. "Wait for back up!"

Noct looked at him, considering. "Nah, I'm good," he yelled back, and ran after them.

Gladio grit his teeth. 

The blast had taken out a pretty good chunk of the bridge, but there was still a thin section of concrete where they might be able to cross. Assuming it would hold, anyway. Prompto eyed it warily.

"You think we can get over that?" he asked. 

"Don't know if we have another choice, unless you've learned to warp without throwing up," Gladio said dryly.

"I haven't needed to!" His chocobo startled at his voice, and he leaned forward, putting a soothing hand on her feathers. "What about you, huh? Don't see you warping over there."

Gladio opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Ignis interrupted.

"Gentlemen," he said crisply, pulling their focus back to what was actually at stake. He was already making his way to the remaining section of bridge. His bird balked as he neared it, refusing to move any further. "Seems we're on foot the rest of the way," he said and dismounted. He made his way slowly across the concrete, carefully feeling out each new section before trusting it with his full weight. 

Prompto didn't realize he was holding his breath until Ignis made it safely across. 

The scavenger on the ground twitched, struggling to sit up, and Ignis moved silently behind him, tapping the man neatly on the head with the handle of his dagger. The guy sagged back to the ground. "Shall we move on?" he said cooly. "Noct needs us."

Prompto swallowed hard. He always forgot what a stone cold badass Ignis could be, but the dude was right. They had to get moving. He slid off Acorn. "Be good," he told her seriously, "and stay out of trouble. We'll be back."

The walk across the bridge wasn't actually as terrifying as he thought it would be. The concrete crumbled a little under Gladio's weight, but the main base of it held true. Noct and the scavengers were already far ahead of them, though. Ignis warped after them, but he didn't have the same stamina Noct did with the royal magic, so Prompto was almost able to keep up with him by sprinting with all his might. Almost.

Noct was still faster than all of them, right at the heels of the main group. They'd just made it to the edge of the dam, the top of one of the statue's heads peeking just over the Wall, when the scavengers suddenly turned on him. Prompto waited for the burst of light, the deadly flash of Noct's inheritance, but it didn't come.

Shit.

_Shit._ Prompto pulled his gun out of the armiger. There were too many bodies, but—fuck, all he had to hit was one scavenger. His bullets were still charged with electricity. If they were all close, at least he could shock a few of them, buy Noct some time. 

He found the most obvious target and took aim. _Chocohoodie, next to the statue, with a gun. You're going down._ And fired.

The flicker of electricity was too bright, the shot of his bullet too loud. It—shit, it looked more like an explosion than anything else, and—

Realization hit. Chocohoodie. Next to the statue. With _C4 explosives and charged bullets, Prompto you absolute fucking dumbass._

A few dazed and bloody bodies were on the ground, but somehow, the blast had missed most of them. It had not missed the statue, though. There was a long, long crack running across the neck, where the head connected to the body.

" _The hell are you doing,_ " Gladio roared from behind him.

"I didn't know!" Prompto yelled back. Before he had the chance to do anything more, though, Noct finally found his royal magic, blindingly bright in the light of the sun. 

He practically flew through the air, surrounded by glittering weapons. The scavengers stopped to stare for one terrible second, and then half of them took off running again while the other half desperately drew their guns. They didn't wait to begin firing at him.

Noct waved his hand, almost like an afterthought, and the bullets stopped midair, falling harmlessly on the concrete floor of the Wall. Noct reached out, picking the greatsword from his arsenal. He didn't attack them, though, just—moved away from the group, a little, setting himself up like he was going to bat, and swung the sword right at the massive head of the statue.

The statue's head broke off with a massive crack, landing on top of the Wall with an even louder _crunch_ , rolling a few feet in front of the retreating scavengers, blocking off their exit.

Prompto stared, mouth open.

Turned around to look at the others, make sure they'd seen the same thing, just to, you know, double check that he wasn't hallucinating. Gladio's eyes were wide, eyebrows furrowed with outrage. And Ignis was just—staring in shock, blank but almost reverent. 

" _NOCT_ ," Gladio roared. He sounded _pissed,_ but Prompto didn't think Noct could even hear them right now. Not with the ghosts of his ancestors circling around him, whispering in his ears. 

Noct floated over to the scavengers, descending like some kind of vengeful angel. "Drop your weapons," he commanded.

The weapons dropped.

"Get down," Noct ordered, and after a second, they slowly dropped to their knees, arms raised behind their head. A few took it even further, prostrating themselves in front of him. Noct turned towards them, his eyes blazing, and said, "I think there's rope in the armiger, Gladio. You want to tie them up?"

Gladio took a second to shake off whatever daze he was in and jogged over to where Noct hovered in front of the scavengers, Ignis close behind him. "Why don't you do it yourself?" 

"My knotwork sucks," Noct shrugged. He landed, finally, although the weapons continued their slow circling.

Gladio shook his head. "Hopeless," he muttered.

"Why do you think I keep you around?" Noct asked, grinning, and let the armiger fade. 

"Just keep an eye on them," Gladio told him, and got to work.

The sun was just starting to set before Gladio was satisfied with his restraints. "Well?" he asked finally, straightening up. "What are you going to do with them?"

Noct frowned. "We should question them," he said. "And, uh. Take them back with us, I guess? I don't want to have to worry about a bullet in my back."

Gladio nodded his approval. 

"We just want to be left alone," one of the scavengers muttered.

"I gave you a chance," Noct told her, "and you tried to blow me up. You don't get another one."

"You're going to kill us?" she demanded.

Noct shrugged. "We'll see."

Prompto's blood ran cold. He was pretty sure Noct was just bluffing, but—he would have talk to him later, just to make sure. As soon as possible, probably. It was one thing to kill them in a fight, another to just—murder them in cold blood. 

"Uh—," Prompto cut in. "So, uh, what's the plan right now?" He definitely didn't feel like riding back to Insomnia in the dark again, but… there wasn't much out here for them. Especially not with a half dozen tied up prisoners to deal with.

Noct considered. Yawned. "Find somewhere to camp for the night?"

"With these guys?" Gladio asked skeptically, jerking his thumb in their direction.

"Sure, why not? You tied them up good, right?"

Gladio frowned. 

"And—" 

_**BANG** _

—Prompto jerked, heart jumping in his throat, every nerve on high alert. A bullet hit the ground with gentle tinkle, and Prompto finally realized Noct's hand was up, a magic shield shimmering around their small group.

Noct turned, looking for the source of the shot, but Ignis was already warping over to a pile of rubble that Prompto had barely registered. There was a grunt, and a loud whoosh of breath as Ignis shoved the person to the ground, kneeling on their back to keep their down. "What would you like me to do with him?" Ignis asked cooly, looking up at Noct.

It was the guy Ignis had tapped on the head, back at the bridge. Prompto took a shaky breath, let it out. Took another, just as shaky as the first.

Noct frowned, taking his time, but finally shrugged. "Tie him up with the others."

"Gladio?" Ignis said.

They tied up the last scavenger together. It looked like they tied his bonds a little more roughly, but Prompto couldn't really blame them.

"Are there any more of you about?" Ignis asked the man. He didn't answer, just glared back, silent and stony-faced. Ignis turned his gaze on the rest of them, but none of them answered. 

"I agree with Noct," Ignis said finally. "I think it would be best if we found a sheltered, defensible location to stay the night." He straightened his shoulders, rolling his neck slightly. "I would like to ask a few questions of our guests."

Prompto wondered if Ignis knew just how terrifying he was right now.

"Go for it," Noct shrugged, clearly unaware of what exactly Ignis meant. "I wanted to see if there were any fish here, anyway."

Ignis cleared his throat. "I'm afraid we're a little too high for your rod to reach the lake," he said diplomatically. "And the trip back down the bridge is rather far."

"Oh," Noct said. "No. I meant at the bottom of the dam." He pointed out over the now empty space where the statue's head had once been.

Ignis stared at him.

"Prompto said there was a way down," Noct added. "And I bet the view is great."

Ignis gave a gentle cough. "Noct, the dam has mechanisms in place to filter out fish and other debris before it can reach the turbines."

Noct shrugged. "It's ten years old, right? It's bound to let a few small fry few."

"Even if it did, I doubt the—'small fry' would survive the fall. The force of the water as it hits the surface is—"

"You never know," Noct argued. "If they're small, they could jump out of the way better."

Prompto wasn't great at physics, but even he wasn't sure that made sense.

Ignis opened his mouth, but Gladio cut in. "Just let him fish, Iggy. He's not gonna shut up until he gives it a shot."

"And what of the prisoners?"

Gladio shrugged. "Take 'em with us. Noct wanted 'em, Noct can look after them."

Ignis sighed, a pained expression on his face. They both knew what that meant: Iggy was going to be the one taking them out for walks and making sure they got fed.

"Uh, small problem," Prompto said apologetically. "The stairs? Are behind the head." He pointed at the giant head in the middle of the road, totally blocking off all access to the rest of the dam.

Noct blinked. Frowned. Pulled the great sword out of the armiger. "I can—"

"We could try the elevator," Gladio suggested.

"Uh… we'll let the prisoners go down first, then," Prompto said. "They can try it out."

The girl laughed roughly. "You're afraid of the elevator?"

Prompto looked at Gladio. "Well, _they_ don't seem worried."

"Noct can go down with them," Gladio said.

That seemed to quiet the scavengers again. Huh. They—were actually afraid of him. Not that Prompto could blame them.

"You're sure that's wise?" Ignis said.

Gladio looked at Noct, an eyebrow raised.

"Beats taking the stairs," Noct said. He looked over at the prisoners. "C'mon," he told them. "Let's get going."

Ignis helped them up, none too gently, and they all made their way over to the elevator together. Prompto stared after them for a second before turning to look at Gladio. "Is this really happening?" he asked finally.

Gladio lifted his hands in a shrug. 

Prompto waited until he saw Noct emerge with the prisoners before heading over to the elevator himself. "Okay," he said, squaring his shoulders. "We can do this. Coming, Gladio?"

Even Gladio took a look over the Wall, make sure they'd made it safely down, before joining him. "Let's get this over with," he said grimly, and pushed the button.


	8. Chapter 8

The night was kind of miserable, if Prompto was being honest with himself. He spent most of it watching Noct fish, or, uh, _trying_ to fish anyway. Nothing was biting and Prompto was pretty sure there wasn't even anything down here in the water for him to catch, but Noct refused to give up.

He was just glad Gladio and Ignis didn't seem to need his help. They were busy setting up camp, making it as prisoner-proof as possible. The area was small enough that Prompto felt distinctly in the way no matter where he stood, so instead he decided to have that talk with Noct. 

"Dude, that was _intense_ ," Prompto said, moving in to stand next to him. They could still see the dam from here, the sky behind the statues a ruddy orange tinged with deep violet. And that head was still sitting on the Wall. He couldn't quite tell which way it was pointed, backlit by the sunset like that, but he was pretty sure it was staring accusingly in their direction. 

Noct let out a sheepish laugh. "I don't think Ignis is going to talk to me for a week. That was one of his favorite architect—architi—" He scowled. "Building designs in the whole country." Prompto did his best to keep his grin to himself. He felt terrible, but it was kinda comforting to hear that there were still a few words Noct just couldn't pronounce. The crystal hadn't change him _that_ much. "I was just—kinda irritated, I guess. And I didn't want to let them get inside, wherever they were headed. The fight would've dragged on."

"You were just irritated," Prompto repeated, amused. "Which is why you just whacked the head of your great grandpa off."

"Nah, those aren't Kings of Yore," Noct said, casting his line again. "I think they represent, like—the Strength and Justice of the nation or something. Ignis would know."

"Wonder which one you killed," Prompto mused. 

Noct's mouth scrunched up into a tight line. It was hard to tell if he didn't want to think about this anymore or if he was just concentrating really hard on fishing.

"It was super badass, though," Prompto told him. "Like, don't think I've seen anything more badass since you took that leap of faith at the Assassin's Festival."

That won him a little grin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Prompto laughed. "My bad. Since we saw the hot but mysterious assassin jump from the tower, never to be seen from again."

Noct nodded firmly, his eyes still on the water.

"You're not really gonna kill them, are you?" Prompto asked. It was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. 

Noct took a breath. "No," he said after what seemed like an eternity. "I don't think I can." He shifted, glancing over at Prompto. He looked like—like Noct again, uncertain, still feeling his way around his duties, trying to figure out what the right path was. "They're trying to make a home, too. Like the rest of us." He sighed. "I wish they would've negotiated."

"You did your best," Prompto told him. "You actually _tried_. That's more than what Gladio wanted to do."

Noct made a face. "He was probably right." He let out a reluctant breath. "We just—need that dam, Prompto." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anything else. "I would've traded with them, even, for the energy. But—"

"They attacked you," Prompto said, nodding. He watched Noct watch the water for a bit. It was getting a little chilly, now that the sun had set on the valley. "It's so weird. Back in the darkness, we would've killed them without a second thought, y'know?" 

Noct stopped, looked at him, frowning.

"They were—they were bad, Noct," Prompto told him. "Like, actual bad guys. It wasn't exactly safe to just go talk to them like that." He swallowed, hugging his arms. "You should've seen what they did to the towns they took over." Bodies hung up like warning signs. Or worse, mutilated just for fun. "I mean, no, you _shouldn't've_ seen it. I'm glad you didn't. I kinda wish I could just forget, too, but." He let out a breath, trying to blow strand of hair out of his face. "I just—thought that was all over, y'know? They sounded totally normal in the tunnel." Ugh. He was talking himself in circles, but he always did that around Noct. The guy seemed happy to just listen, let Prompto ramble it out. "But they were planning to blow up that bridge. They _shot at you_. What else are they willing to do, y'know?"

Noct shrugged. "That's something Ignis wants to ask them." 

"Good luck," he muttered. "I mean—hopefully someone among the prisoners knows, but, uh, not holding my breath that they'll bother telling the truth."

Noct shrugged. "Ignis'll figure it out." He said it as easily as he said, _Ignis is making coffee, he'll be right back._ They stood in silence for a bit, watching the water, before Noct said, "How are things with Gladio? I didn't have a chance to ask before."

Prompto took an involuntary breath, staring out at the dark silhouette of the dam, the sky sinking into a deep violet over the dam. They should probably head back soon. "No idea." It felt like an admission.

"This didn't help?"

Prompto shrugged. "We'll see." At least he knew there was a problem, now. But—heh. He wasn't holding his breath about _that_ , either. "So. You really think there's fish in here?" 

"It's probably too late at night," Noct said, like that was a reasonable reply. "I'll try again in the morning." He made no sign of packing up though.

"Uh," Prompto said, "right. I'll leave you to it then, buddy."

Noct lifted a hand, absently waving him off, and Prompto headed back to camp.

\- - -

Gladio was deep asleep when a voice pulled at his thoughts.

"—does anyone let him get away with it?" 

Prompto. The meaning slowly filtered in through Gladio's conscious.

"—unh?" Gladio managed to get out. 

"That bird," Prompto repeated. As if to punctuate his words, a bird somewhere trilled, its voice vibrant and alive, but somehow still less piercing than Prompto's. "How come the other animals don't just eat him? He shouldn't be hard to find, he's making enough noise." 

Gladio closed his eyes again.

The bird trilled again, and Prompto groaned. "Seriously. Just one little bite. And then we could have silence again."

Gladio shifted in his bedroll, shoving his face into the pillow. It wasn't enough to block out the morning. "You know you _are_ that bird right now?"

Prompto's head rustled against his bedroll. A second later, he whispered, "Right. Sorry. Mouth closed."

Gladio closed his eyes, trying to find sleep again, but he knew Prompto. The guy would never be able to actually keep quiet for long. There was more conversation coming. 

The longer the silence lasted, though, the more he could feel the building tension, waiting for Prompto to start talking again. By now, Gladio was awake anyway. He finally gave up, hauling himself up out of the bedroll and dragging his clothes on, stumbling out of the tent into predawn darkness. 

Ignis was up already. His turn at guarding the prisoners. He glanced over at Gladio briefly before turning his attention back to the scavengers, carefully tied up.

"Gladio," Ignis murmured in greeting. "Sleep well?"

Gladio shook his head, trying to clear it of the last remaining vestiges of sleep. "Better than I should've," he muttered. "How're the prisoners?"

"Asleep," Ignis said. His mouth curved into a sharp smile. "Or pretending to be."

"Can't blame them," Gladio laughed. "Think I would, too, with _you_ on guard."

"Prompto said the same thing," Ignis said, poking at the fire. He must've started it recently. The prisoners had said they were the only ones living at the dam, but even Prompto'd known better than to trust them. It'd seemed a good idea to keep the fire low, avoid attracting extra attention to themselves. Just in case.

Prompto wandered out of the tent a few minutes later, his hair a haystack. Gladio had to check the impulse to go over and help him with it. Wasn't a good time, not with the prisoner's right over there. 

"Oh em gee," Prompto gasped, bending down to warm his hands by the fire. "Is that _tea?_ Iggy, you are a god."

Ignis smiled faintly.

"But like? A lot of it?" Prompto said, continuing to babble, peering at the pot over the fire. "Where did even _get_ all of this? How did you even think to bring so much?" He frowned. "Seriously, how long did you think we would be out here, anyway?"

"Never hurts to be prepared," Ignis demurred.

Last time Iggy'd prepared them for an outing outside of Insomnia, they'd wound up penniless vagabonds wandering the countryside. Gladio wondered how long it would take before he recovered from _that_ mistake. 

"And I thought our guests might enjoy a warm drink after their night," Ignis added, his voice still quiet.

Gladio's eyes found the prisoners, tied up against the base of the dam, far enough away they couldn't rush their camp in the night, close enough that whoever was on guard duty could easily call for backup. They looked—cold. Miserable. 

_Good._

"Tea?" Prompto protested, incredulously. "For them?"

"Just call 'em prisoners, Iggy," Gladio sighed. 

Ignis gave him a saintly smile. "You may, of course, call them whatever you want."

Gladio rolled his eyes.

"Are you gonna feed them breakfast, too?" Prompto grumbled.

Ignis's smile turned beatific. "Whatever Noct catches this morning," he said pleasantly.

Prompto burst out laughing. 

"Hope we're getting something better," Gladio grunted.

"What could be better than fresh fish fixed over the fire?"

Gladio stared at him for a second. Shook his head. "Going for a walk," he decided. "Do some scouting." And remembered, suddenly, what he'd been thinking about last night, waiting for sleep to hit. "Coming, Prompto?"

Prompto blinked at him, startled. "Uh, yeah," he said, glancing back at the tent, "sure. If Iggy's okay with it?"

"I'm sure Noct and I can manage," Ignis said smoothly, his face unreadable.

Damn it. Gladio'd pissed him off. They were probably gonna have the non-existent fish for breakfast, too.

But nothing could beat an early morning hike. Especially not with _this_ view. It was worth risking Iggy's ire. And anyway, they might discover signs of scavengers, or better, some wild berries or mushrooms to go with Noct's "fish." 

"We'll be back soon," Gladio promised, and took off for the bridge near the base of the dam, leading them to the far bank. If they were going to pick up any signs of scavengers, it would probably be over there, closer to where the staff housing was. Plus, it had a rocky ledge Gladio'd spotted the night before, perfect spot to get a good look at the terrain.

They hiked in silence, mist rising from the river as they moved across the bridge. Fog lay low to the ground, creeping up around the tree trunks and hugging their footsteps. Gladio kept them close to the river. Be hard to see that rocky outcropping if they got too far into the trees. 

Prompto was quiet. He'd been quiet ever since the gift shop. Gladio hadn't paid it much attention. They'd had more important things to worry about than chatting. But the little guy'd been fine talking to Iggy. 

Gladio took a breath, letting the cool air fill his lungs. 

He'd fucked up. And he needed to make it right. The knowledge of it pressed at his chest, solid and unescapable.

They kept going, coming to that rocky outcropping just as the sun broke free of the hills, its light painting everything a golden, rosy hue, bringing the entire world alive with its light. 

"Damn," Prompto breathed, stopping to take it in.

Gladio looked at him. Frowned. "Where's your camera?" 

Prompto gave a wry grin. "Left it in the tent, of course. Forgot about it until we'd made it over the bridge." He shrugged. "Maybe Noct'll have another mission for us out here, though." _Us._ "Get another shot at this sunrise."

Prompto wanted to come here with him again. At least there was that.

Gladio took another breath, let the calm of the valley fill his chest. "I've been thinking," he said, and Prompto's eyes jerked away from the sunrise, wide and startled. "About duty."

Prompto stared at him, the color slowly draining out of his face. "Oh," he whispered.

Gladio kept his eyes on the dam. He couldn't look at Prompto's face. Not until he'd said his piece. It always showed too much, everything right there, ready to share with the world.

Hell, it was one of the things Gladio loved most about him.

The stones of the dam were glowing in the morning sun, shifting from pink to orange. Even the rough stone of the newly beheaded statue looked right, somehow, in this light. 

"Noct—" Gladio started, and let out a short, quiet laugh. "Noct doesn't need a Shield to protect him." He shifted, added, "Still needs me, of course. Needs someone to watch over the glaives, stand by his side. Make sure the world knows he's not weak. But—" he let out a breath. "He's not the only one who needs me."

He could hear Prompto swallow next to him.

"I'll still be busy," Gladio said, turning to look at him, finally. "But if you need me home, I'll listen."

Prompto's heart was in his eyes. The guy wasn't looking at the sunrise, anymore, his eyes just on Gladio, his whole skin flushed with the light of the sun. "W-what?"

"I'll do my damned best," Gladio promised him. "And if I can't make it that night, I'll find another. As soon as I can. Just—tell me. If you need me, I'll make the time."

Prompto swallowed, biting at his lip. He looked like he was about to cry. How had Gladio missed this? How much Prompto was hurting? 

"Whatever you want to do, too," Gladio added. "I owe you that."

"You don't—" Prompto could barely get the words out. "You don't owe me anything, big guy."

Gladio shrugged. "I want you to be happy."

Prompto breathed, his chest rising and falling. "Y-you're serious? Like—seriously serious? You'll—take a night off, when I ask? I mean—not that I'll ask much."

Gladio nodded. 

Prompto bit his lip, gaze moving to the valley, the dam. "Fuck," he whispered.

Gladio frowned. "Is there a problem?"

Prompto shook his head. "Nope. Not at all." He let out a short little laugh. "I mean, not gonna lie, I don't know if I actually believe it'll work. But—" his mouth caught on a grin, spreading across his face, as bright as the sun. "I'm happy to try. More than happy. Like—" and Gladio had to lean in and kiss him.

Pulled away long enough to say, "Stop talking," brushing his thumb over the freckles on Prompto's cheek and leaned in to take his mouth again, tugging him in.

\- - -

By the time they made it back to camp, the mist had almost entirely burned away and Ignis was carefully cooking a single fish over the fire. Noct sat on the cooler close by, somewhere between triumphant and thoroughly chastised.

"Ah, Gladio! Prompto! Noct found us breakfast," Ignis said cheerfully. "I believe it shall be enough to feed us all, don't you?"

Gladio looked at the fish again. It was medium-sized at best, and the angle of the fire meant it was going to cook unevenly. But one look at Iggy's carefully neutral expression and Gladio kept his mouth shut.

"You brought other supplies though, right?" Prompto asked hopefully. "You had all that tea…"

"I would hate to let this feast go to waste," Ignis said, still in that bright, chipper tone. 

Prompto groaned. "You just _had_ to go fishing, didn't you, buddy," he muttered.

"If I knew you guys had gone for a walk, I would've taken longer!" Noct protested. "I bet I could've caught another."

"Thought you'd still be asleep," Gladio told him.

Noct shrugged. "What can I say? I needed to know what fish were biting." He frowned. "And there was this bird that wouldn't shut up."

Prompto burst out laughing. "See, dude?" he said in his most annoying tone, and grinned right at Gladio. "Told you."

And—sure, Iggy was pissed. They'd have a long journey ahead of them, bringing the prisoners back. But at least Prompto was laughing again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy the wonderful art [Alassa](https://twitter.com/artofalassa) drew for this chapter! 
> 
> If you haven't done so already (or even if you have :D) [go tell her how amazing she is.](https://twitter.com/artofalassa/status/1326273958543552512?s=20)


	9. Epilogue

_Hey, been awhile_

Prompto's finger hovered over the screen. But. Yeah. It _had_ been awhile, and it was a Friday night.

He tapped _send_ and waited. 

\- - -

Saturday dawned warm and sunny. 

"Thought we could go take a few photos for Noct," Prompto told him as they were putting the morning dishes away.

Gladio shot him a _look_. "If I'm not allowed to talk about work, you aren't either."

Prompto couldn't help but grin. "Heh. Deal. But I'm still bringing my camera."

"So long as you're taking the pics for yourself," Gladio said with a shrug.

They borrowed two chocobos from the stables and rode north, to the abandoned fields that had been left to fallow. 

The day was seriously perfect. Prompto couldn't get enough of the way the sky just opened up, out here, the white cottony clouds brightening the deep blue. Grass covered the hills, waving gentle and golden in the breeze. There was so much of it, as far as the eye could see, dotted here and there with the remnants of old buildings that had been lost to the darkness and were waiting patiently to be found again. Prompto had to pull his chocobo to a stop at the top of the next hill and just take it in. 

Gladio stopped next to him, looking out. "See something?"

"Yeah," Prompto breathed. "We've been all over the world. But I've never seen anything like this. There's so much _space_ out here."

Gladio let out a soft laugh. "Know a lot of people who'd say it's boring."

Prompto shook his head. He couldn't quite figure out how to put it into words. The sky felt so big. "Are you one of them?"

Gladio looked out across the land, taking it in. "It's not bad," he said, voice warm.

"Been here before?"

Gladio shook his head. "Not often. Did a few training exercises, though, with the Guard."

"Me neither. We didn't really leave the city much," Prompto said. "Except for that time we went apple picking? But, uh, my dad kinda stumbled into some poison ivy, and—"

" _Apple picking_?" 

"He decided to go exploring," Prompto explained.

Gladio shook his head, grinning. "And that was it, huh."

"Never again," Prompto agreed. And then, "Alright, let me just—take a photo and then we can—"

"Take your time," Gladio told him, voice easy. "There's no rush."

They wandered for most of the day, Prompto doing his best to keep up a loud conversation whenever they approached one of the old farm buildings. He didn't want any more surprises, not after the dam, but out here, no one was trying to hide. There weren't many people who actually wanted to settle this far from the comfort and safety of city lights, and those who did tended to take care of their land. 

They exchanged information with handful of folks they met, but for the most part they kept on the move, poking their heads into the few abandoned buildings they came across. The farm houses were still full of the remnants of interrupted lives, brimming over with memories not entirely their own. Prompto found himself making up stories about some of them, showing Gladio the old photographs, the birds' nests tucked into floor lamps, the hoodie draped over a chair that looked _exactly_ like one of Gladio's favorites, hanging in his closet back home.

And every time they emerged, the sun was there to greet them, warm and bright. 

It felt like they were walking through a storybook. The grass glimmered with the sunlight, almost as tall as Prompto. Their chocobos had abandoned them at some point, and—Prompto _could_ call for them. But where was the fun in that?

"Hey Gladio," Prompto called, "give me a boost?"

Gladio emerged from the grass, frowning at him. "A boost to what?"

Prompto gestured above them. "The sky? I wanna see what's ahead of us."

Gladio rolled his eyes. "More grass."

"Okay, but I want to _see_ it." 

"And you want a piggyback ride?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes!" Prompto told him emphatically, but he was grinning. "How is that even a question, dude?" 

Gladio looked at him for a long moment. Snorted, shaking his head, and bent down. "Well, get on then."

Prompto clapped his hands together in delight and practically launched himself at Gladio's shoulders. The dude stumbled forward a little, unprepared, but managed to catch himself, keeping them from both tumbling to the ground.

"Hold on," he grunted, and stood up, Prompto doing his best to hold on tight. 

And they were up, just like that. Holy shit. Prompto couldn't stop laughing, the wind in his hair and Gladio's hair in his face. Couldn't keep the grin off his face as Gladio took hold of his ankles, make sure he stayed firmly in place. 

"Go left!" Prompto told him pointing, arm stretched out. 

"I'm not a mount," Gladio muttered.

Prompto laughed wickedly. "Not yet."

The dude was actually speechless. Prompto couldn't help but take advantage of it, lean forward to whisper in his ear, "Would it help if I said please?"

Gladio inhaled, trying to shake it off and almost shook Prompto off in the process. Prompto held on tight, grinning into Gladio's hair as they headed out, grass tickling the sides of his legs.

It was _seriously_ a perfect day. 

After a few minutes, Gladio slowed to a stop. He'd managed to find them a small clearing, the grass only as tall as their waists. "Alright," he said, a little breathless. "Get off."

Prompto slid down off his back, rising up on his tiptoes to plant a kiss on the back of Gladio's neck. "Thanks for the ride."

"This again?"

"Though you usually have more stamina than that," Prompto added, leaning into him, maybe groping his ass just a little. 

"Usually you aren't riding my shoulders," Gladio told him dryly. 

"Usually you give me a better option."

"You really want the better option?" Gladio asked, eyebrow raised. "Here? In the middle of nowhere?"

Prompto swallowed, his cheeks suddenly hot. "Why? You offering?"

"No." Gladio shrugged. "But it _is_ your day. You get to call the shots, right?"

Prompto flopped down onto the grass. It was distinctly less soft than it looked. "All day long?"

"If that's what you want," Gladio shrugged.

Prompto squinted up at him. "I do want," he said. "Because I definitely want to take you up on that offer, but, uh, later. In a bed." He patted the grass next to him. "But maybe you could sit here anyway?"

Gladio let out an amused breath, settling in beside him, and Prompto scooted over the last few inches to lean against him.

"This is nice," he said. "Really nice."

Gladio reached out, draping an arm over Prompto's shoulder, pulling him in. The breeze whispered warm in their ears, the grass shifting in waves in front of them, glimmering golden under the promise of the sun. 

"Yeah," Gladio said, "it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! I realize I took a slightly different approach to, er, this kind of thing, but after talking about Promptio with some friends, I realized that one of the hardest parts for them is staying together after World of Ruin. Prompto knows only too well that Gladio has his duties and takes them seriously. And, well. Gladio has his duties and takes them very seriously, to the point of forgetting he has a life outside of that. 
> 
> It was a really fun and rewarding challenge for me to figure out how they managed to work around that and stay together. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed working on it.
> 
> And please enjoy the wonderful art [Alassa](https://twitter.com/artofalassa) drew for this chapter! 
> 
> If you haven't done so already (or even if you have :D) [go tell her how amazing she is.](https://twitter.com/artofalassa/status/1326273958543552512?s=20)

**Author's Note:**

> Many many thanks to [Alassa](https://twitter.com/artofalassa) and [LeSoldatMort](https://twitter.com/lesoldatmort) for contributing so many WoR headcanons and plot bunnies, as well as giving me their support, encouragement, and willingness to listen to my harebrained ideas. 
> 
> Eight billion more thanks to Alassa for the beautiful art and being my own personal cheerleader through all of this, I seriously would not have finished this without you. <3
> 
> Special thanks to [Baconfat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baconfat/pseuds/Baconfat) for graciously putting up with my sudden interest in dams and just as sudden lack of free time.
> 
> And a huge thanks to [Lhugy](https://twitter.com/lhugy2) for putting all of this together and being so wonderful to work with!


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